Helmand

American  

[hel-muhnd] / ˈhɛl mənd /

noun

1. a river in S Asia, flowing SW from E Afghanistan to a lake in E Iran. 650 miles (1,045 km) long.

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Helmand British  

/ ˈhɛlmənd /

noun

1. a river in S Asia, rising in E Afghanistan and flowing generally southwest to a marshy lake, Hamun Helmand, on the border with Iran. Length: 1400 km (870 miles)

2. a province of SW Afghanistan; scene of strong Taliban insurgency since 2006. Capital: Lashkar Gah. Pop: 1 441 769 (2010 est). Area: 58 584 sq km (23 058 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

The next month, those emails show, Andrew sent Epstein a confidential brief from a U.K.-led multilateral group in Afghanistan, the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province, about international investment opportunities in Afghanistan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

Most of the 457 British troops who died serving in Afghanistan over a period of nearly 20 years were killed in Helmand - the scene of the heaviest fighting.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

Shakiba still lives with his mother in Helmand province.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 6, 2025

Tensions also have been growing between Iran and Afghanistan over the Helmand River, with Iranian leaders accusing their upstream neighbor of not letting enough water flow into the country.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2025

In Helmand, Zabol, Kandahar, villages turned into herds of nomadic communities, always moving, searching for water and green pastures for their livestock.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini