Relief Groups Say Donations Still Needed in Response to Hurricane Gustav

While the Hurricane Gustav didn’t turn out to be as destructive as expected to the Gulf Coast, disaster-relief groups say the storm heavily damaged many parts of Louisiana and Mississippi and that they are providing aid to tens of thousands of evacuees.

Though no one expects the need to be as great as when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the region in 2005, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other aid organizations continue to seek donations for the disaster, which has forced more than a million people to flee their homes.

“Fortunately, the impact of the storm is less than many of us had feared,” said Mike Kiernan, a spokesman for Save the Children, which has raised at least $23,000. “But it’s done substantial damage. There are unmet needs.”

For example, he said, Save the Children is searching for beds for infants staying in emergency shelters across the region. “We’re scrambling now to find bassinets and cribs.”

‘Very Active’ Phase

The American Red Cross, which oversees most of the housing needs during national disasters, said it is taking care of almost 45,000 people in 334 shelters.

Lesly C. Simmons, a Red Cross spokeswoman at the group’s headquarters in Washington, said that until these people can go home, the group will be very busy.

“We’re still in a very active service-delivery phase,” she said.

The agency has moved nearly 200 mobile feeding trucks into Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama. It is also sending more than 100,000 cots, 200,000 blankets, and tens of thousand of hygiene kits and ready-to-eat meals.

So far, the Red Cross has spent $12-million on emergency assistance. Ms. Simmons said that the relief charity is not sure how much it has garnered in contributions so far for the hurricane.

She said that most donations will go into the Red Cross’s national disaster fund, which last month had a deficit of $200-million. She said with Hurricane Hanna and other storms threatening the United States, the Red Cross will likely continue to ask for contributions despite the less-than-anticipated effects of Gustav.

Not all disaster groups, however, are taking the same approach. Direct Relief International, in Santa Barbara, Calif., is giving $250,000 to support health clinics and other medical facilities in Gustav’s path, but the charity has not solicited its donors since the storm was weaker than feared.

“We want to make sure appeals are proportional to the need,” said Jim Prosser, the Direct Relief’s spokesman.

Politicians Appeal

With the hurricane hitting during the Republican National Convention, both Republicans and Democrats have been vocal fund raisers for disaster-relief efforts.

“Your financial support will strengthen organizations like the American Red Cross that are evacuating Gulf Coast residents and planning to help communities get back on their feet,” the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, said in an e-mail message to supporters.

His campaign also sent out a text message on Monday to cell phones asking supporters to donate $5 each to the Red Cross.

Sen. John McCain, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, spent part of Monday in Ohio helping a Christian charity prepare supplies for victims of Gustav.

Both candidates have dedicated a part of their Web sites to ask for money for hurricane-related relief work.

Despite the appeals, the Red Cross and other groups have said it is unclear how much money the senators have helped generate.

“We know they are out there and getting a lot of attention in the media,” said Ms. Simmons. “We’re a neutral organization, so we’re happy to have both parties supporting us.”