The death toll amongst the people of north west Pakistan continues to mount following the floods from heavy monsoon rains. Many areas in the Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa province are still not reachable so the full extent of the unfolding horror has yet to be ascertained, but whatever the final body count, it is estimated that millions have been affected with house and infra structure destroyed. The information minister for the province commented "This is the worst flood in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the country's history."

Compounding this human tragedy is a looming health disaster with many evacuees reporting signs of waterborne infections together with expected food shortages as entire harvests have been swept away the torrential rain water. Whilst aid has been pledged, it simply cannot reach those left destitute and penniless with homes lost under water and livelihoods wrecked.

Underlying this story are reports that India, having also suffered from heavy monsoon rainfalls, has opened the gates of its over-stretched rivers, releasing even more water into the affected Pakistan areas. This will undoubtedly exacerbate existing tensions between the two countries regarding the supply of water that have existed since the establishment of the uneasy Indus Water Treaty of 1960, a treaty that many commentators have concluded favours India. Some have openly stated that this treaty effectively gives India the power to restrict waters flowing into Pakistan which could lead to crop failure and Pakistan's greater dependency on foreign exports. Some have even suggested that it could lead to war between the two nuclear nations.

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