UNICEF says the health and well-being of children affected by the earthquake are hanging in the balance _ many are homeless, in deep shock and with no access to basic care.

There is also worry about the monsoon season and the risk of diseases like cholera and diarrhoel infections.

With about 40 percent of children stunted in Nepal, UNICEF is raising alarm about the effect of the earthquake on their nutrition. It says that at least 15,000 children with severe acute malnutrition require therapeutic feeding.

There is also an urgent need for children in the 12 most affected districts to get back to their normal routine by setting up child-friendly spaces, opening schools and providing access to basic services, such as health and water.