At least 4,900 people have died after two powerful earthquakes rocked Turkey and Syria yesterday.
More powerful tremors hit Turkey overnight as rescue efforts continued.
There have been at least 14 large quakes in the region since midnight.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said the death toll could reach as high as 20,000 in the coming days.
UNICEF spokesperson Ammar Ammar told Newstalk the situation on the ground is catastrophic.
“There is a huge sense of panic, including among children,” he said. “Many people are displaced and living outside in the streets and in open areas.
“Some of them have taken to schools and universities as well to seek shelter.”
The first 7.8 magnitude earthquake happened before dawn on Monday, when many people would have been sleeping.
Bitterly cold weather has hampered rescue efforts – with tens of thousands of people forced to spend the night in the freezing cold.
Damage to roads and fuel shortages have also made it difficult for rescuers to respond.
According to the latest figures, more than 13,000 people have been injured in Turkey.
In the Turkish city of Antakya, close to the Syrian border, 10-storey buildings have crumbled onto the streets.
In the city of Iskenderun, there was an enormous pile of debris where an intensive care unit once stood.
More than 7,800 people in Turkey have been rescued across 10 provinces so far - and crews from around the world have been making their way to the epicentre to help.
