New Zealanders urged to check charities before donating after Hurricane Matthew

  • 12/10/2016
Hurricane Matthew caused devastation in Haiti (Reuters)
Hurricane Matthew caused devastation in Haiti (Reuters)

A charity watch-dog is urging New Zealanders to do their homework before donating to an organisation.

It comes as Haitians warn the public not to donate to the American Red Cross after claims the charity squandered money.

Maria Robertson from the Department of Internal Affairs told Paul Henry it's crucial donors do their research.

"The difference here is not all charities are registered, so anything can call itself a charity. My advice is to think and look carefully at whether a charity is a registered charity."

Hurricane Matthew killed around 1000 people in Haiti and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday some Haitian towns and villages had just about been "wiped off the map."

The World Health Organistion is sending one million doses of cholera vaccine to Haiti in the wake of the storm.

Officials say safe drinking water and the treatment of those affected by the disease are top priorities.

Cholera was first introduced to Haiti by UN peacekeepers in 2010 and the island nation now has one of the highest rates in the world.

Meanwhile, floodwaters from the hurricane are causing ongoing devastation in the United States, with thousands of residents under threat. The number of fatalities there rose to at least 23, with nearly half in North Carolina.

"This storm is not over in North Carolina," Governor Pat McCrory told reporters in Fayetteville.

"It's going to be a long, tough journey."

Reuters / Newshub.