The most helpful thing most people can give is $ donations, because the humanitarian aid organizations can pool the money to buy & transport emergency supplies in bulk.
You left out how much of 1 dollar sent is being used by the organizations you send it to for adminastrative Cost .
You can see how organizations allocate their money through this site:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/
Take UNICEF, for example:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4617
Organizational Efficiency
Program Expenses 90.5%
Administrative Expenses 2.8%
Fundraising Expenses 6.6%
Not trying to be a troll, but how much of the aid being sent over there will be stolen from the street gangs and thugs and not make it to its intended victims?
I look at it this way: a big earthquake that levels a city is not going to choose its victims. Gangsters and thugs are probably among those who are crushed, trapped in rubble, or dying in the street... being a criminal takes a measure of strength and mental alertness, which are probably in short supply among the victims. I am not that concerned that shellshocked criminals are suddenly going to want to steal plastic tents and rehydration salts.
Any partially-intelligent criminal would use the confusion to loot stores for jewelry, electronics, and money.