The Canadian government has set aside $4.58 million in humanitarian aid for Haiti and other Caribbean countries affected by Hurricane Matthew. That amount includes $300,000 for the Red Cross to provide emergency care and $280,000 for drinking water and child-friendly hygiene kits.

Much of the federal aid is earmarked to help Haiti in the aftermath of the hurricane disaster.About $1.3 million will go towards containing diseases like cholera, which has killed 13 people in the latest outbreak.

The federal government has deployed a team to Haiti to assess the damage caused by the hurricane.

“The team is in the field right now, so we will wait for their recommendations before we take any more specific action,” said International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.

Quebec is home to approximately 119,000 Haitians and its provincial government has donated half a million to relief efforts. The City of Montreal has donated $60,000.

The Canadian military is on standby and ready to deploy if asked, but sources say the Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART, is unlikely to be sent because there is no shortage of aid already in Haiti. The real challenge now is delivering supplies to the remote areas where they are so desperately needed.

Minister of International Relations and Francophonie Christine St-Pierre said several Quebec-based organizations are working in difficult conditions to help address victims’ basic needs.

St-Pierre said Haiti is a priority for Quebec in terms of international solidarity.