The United Nations children's agency warned of severe risks to 3.7 million children in Syria's earthquake-affected regions.

The Feb. 6 quake that struck neighboring Türkiye killed over 50,000 people, including almost 6,000 in Syria.

In Syria alone, at least 8.8 million people have been affected by the devastating quake, according to the U.N.

"The 3.7 million children in affected areas of Syria ... are facing several growing and potentially catastrophic threats," the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said in a statement on Thursday.

It cited the disaster's emotional and psychological impact, the increased risk of disease, and "a lack of access to basic services for families, left vulnerable by almost 12 years of conflict."

UNICEF's executive director Catherine Russell, who had a two-day visit to Syria on Thursday, said, "the children of Syria have already endured unspeakable horror and heartbreak."

The quake and aftershocks "not only destroyed more homes, schools, and places for children to play, they also shattered any sense of safety for many of the most vulnerable children and families."

UNICEF said it needed "$172.7 million to deliver immediate life-saving support for 5.4 million people, including 2.6 million children, impacted by the earthquake" in Syria.

"Providing access to essential services, like safe water, health care, and psychosocial support" can help families rebuild their lives, Russell added.

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday urged the international community to help earthquake-hit northwest Syria on his first-ever visit to opposition-held areas of the country.

The U.N. has launched a $397 million appeal to help quake victims in Syria, but Tedros warned that "we are not getting as much as what is needed for this emergency."

Syria has also faced a deadly cholera outbreak that began last year.

Since 2011, Syria's war has killed nearly half a million people and forced around half of its pre-war population from their homes.

Many sought refuge in Türkiye, including areas devastated by last month's earthquake.