Saturday marks three months since Turkey and Syria were hit by a series of massive earthquakes. The disaster killed more than 56,000 people, and left millions homeless.

The first strong jolt occurred on February 6. The death toll stands at about 50,500 in Turkey, and about 6,000 in Syria.

Work is underway to remove debris and restore infrastructure in Turkey. But local media say 2.5 million people are still living in tents.

Many survivors are leaving their communities to find work or send their children to school.

A survey by a university in Turkey found that 3.3 million people had left quake-hit areas as of March, and that less than 10 percent are estimated to have returned.

A 65-year-old man in Kahramanmaras, near the epicenter in southern Turkey, says half the town has been flattened and everyone is gone. He predicts it will take five years for his hometown to start moving forward.

People in areas of Syria controlled by anti-government forces are still in desperate need of shelters.

The United Nations says 53,000 households are living in tents in the country's northwest. Officials say they urgently need sturdy temporary housing.