Villagers, isolated by Typhoon Haiyan a week ago, wait from a distance as a Philippine Air Force helicopter crew unloads relief goods Friday at La Paz, south of the Leyte capital Tacloban. So far, the death toll is 3,621. Hundreds of thousands are homeless and in need of food, water and medicine.

GUIUAN, Philippines — The knock of hammer on nail, the buzz of chain saws, the swish of brooms clearing up debris from wrecked homes and yards: The sound of people putting their lives back together rings out across this devastated town.

A week after the typhoon struck the Philippines, there is immense need along this coast, much of it untouched by an aid effort that is struggling against clogged airports, blocked roads and a lack of manpower.

But amid the desperation, a spirit of resilience was clearly evident Friday as the residents of Guiuan and other battered towns started rebuilding their lives and those of their neighbors — with or without help from their government or foreign aid groups.

At 6 a.m., Dionesio de la Cruz was hammering together a bed, using scavenged rusty nails. He has already built a temporary shelter out of the remains of his house.

“We’re on our own, so we have to do this on our own,” the 40-year-old said as his wife and mother slept on a nearby table. “We’re not expecting anybody to come and help us.”

The death toll was raised today by disaster authorities to 3,621, up from the previous figure of 2,360. Some officials have projected the eventual toll will top 10,000.

Authorities estimate some 600,000 people have been displaced by Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the islands of Samar and Leyte hardest. Most of those are likely to be homeless. Along with food, water and medicine, aid groups will prioritize the distribution of tools, nails and other equipment to allow people to build better shelters.

In signs that relief efforts were picking up, U.S. Navy helicopters were flying from the aircraft carrier USS George Washington off the coast, dropping water and food to isolated communities.

The government has come under some criticism for its inability to get supplies out quicker.

“In a situation like this, nothing is fast enough,” Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said in the Leyte capital, Tacloban, most of which was destroyed by the storm. “The need is massive, the need is immediate, and you can’t reach everyone.”

Back in the town of Guiuan, about 100 miles east of Tacloban, there were other signs of life emerging from the debris. One man was selling skewers of meat, a couple of kiosks are open selling soda and soaps. Everywhere, freshly washed clothes lay in sun, drying.

Guiuan was one of the first towns to be hit by the storm. It suffered massive damage, but casualty figures were lower than in Tacloban and some other towns because it was largely spared from storm surges.