Philippine Government Defends Response To Typhoon Haiyan

Death toll at 3,621

BEIJING—Under fire for what critics say is the slow pace of its typhoon relief effort, the Philippine government Friday defended its handling of what might be the worst natural disaster in recent history.

"In a situation like this, nothing is fast enough," Interior Secretary Max Roxas told reporters during a visit toTacloban, the provincial capital that was largely destroyed by the typhoon a week earlier.  "The need is massive, the need is immediate, and you can't reach everyone."