NEW YORK — Seven months after Hurricane Sandy, the Red Cross still hasn’t spent more than a third of the $303 million it raised to assist victims of the storm, a strategy the organization says will help address needs that weren’t immediately apparent in the disaster’s wake.
Some disaster relief specialists say that’s smart planning. But others question whether the Red Cross, an organization best known for rushing into disasters to distribute food and get people into shelter, should have acted with more urgency in the weeks after the storm and left long-haul recovery tasks to someone else.
‘‘The Red Cross has never been a recovery operation. Their responsibility has always been mass care,’’ said Ben Smilowitz, executive director of the Disaster Accountability Project, a nonprofit group that monitors aid groups. ‘‘Stick with what you’re good at.’’
Storm victims could have used more help this past winter, said Kathleen McCarthy, director of the Center for the Study of Philanthropy and Civil Society at the City University of New York.
‘‘People were cold. Homes mildewed. There wasn’t enough decent housing,’’ she said. ‘‘Given the lingering despair, it’s hard to understand the argument that ‘We are setting that money aside.’ ’’
As Americans open their wallets to assist tornado victims in Oklahoma, the Red Cross is again emerging as one of the most important relief organizations on the ground and also one of the most prodigious fund-raisers for victims. As of Thursday, it had raised approximately $15 million in donations and pledges for the tornado response, including a $1 million gift from NBA star Kevin Durant and numerous $10 donations, pledged via text.
The Red Cross was also the number one recipient of donations after Sandy.