GENEVA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Rising flood waters across West Africa are intensifying health risks for millions of people, and adding to the impact of the food price crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

    International aid is needed as heavy rains forecast to last until September could exacerbate health threats for conditions including malaria, diarrhoea and other potentially fatal communicable diseases, the UN agency said in a statement.

    According to the agency, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Togo need urgent assistance.

    Flooding in those countries has caused widespread damage to bridges, roads, railway lines and other infrastructure vital for delivering health services and humanitarian supplies.

    Seasonal rains have also caused damage in Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

    "West Africa's annual floods bring with them not only the threat of vector-borne and communicable diseases, but it further endangers the lives of people already malnourished by the food price crisis," said Dr Eric Laroche, WHO assistant director-general for health action in crises cluster.

    WHO is responding by providing essential medicines, assessing the health status of the vulnerable populations -- particularly children, women and the elderly -- and helping raise badly needed humanitarian funding.