The Chinese Canadian National Council has called on the House of Commons to respond swiftly to May 12’s earthquake disaster in Sichuan, China.

Victor Wong, the CCNC’s executive director (and former NDP candidate for Vancouver-Kingsway) issued a media release on Monday afternoon that asked MPs to send Canada’s 200-member military Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and humanitarian aid to the southwest province immediately.

However, the Canadian Red Cross, one of Canada’s largest relief agencies, is holding back, waiting to see if the Red Cross Society of China can handle this on its own.

The CCNC’s president, Colleen Hua, noted in the release that a swift Canadian response could be key to effective relief. “There are a large number of people missing and trapped in flattened buildings,” Hua wrote. “Canada has rescue expertise and equipment in the Disaster Assistance Response Team and can make a difference in saving lives—we should offer to send an advance team immediately.”

In contrast, the Canadian Red Cross is in “wait and see” mode, according to the national spokesperson, Christine Lopes. Canada’s Red Cross recently helped Sichuan’s Red Cross build a disaster-relief centre, she said, noting that a team from that centre has already started distributing aid and that a Chinese assessment team has been deployed.

“This afternoon the [International Red Cross] federation released $250,000 Swiss francs (approximately $235,000) from the disaster relief federation fund, so the [Chinese Red Cross] assessment teams could immediately go out and begin their work,” Lopes explained in a phone interview on May 12.

“And then the Chinese Red Cross Society goes out to assess whether there needs to be an international appeal for funds, or if they can handle it in-country. At this point, that’s what we’re waiting to hear.”

Lopes reiterated that the Red Cross is not yet appealing for funds—a situation that may change within 24 hours—but if individuals would like to send money to help Sichuan, they can do so at Red Cross locations throughout the Lower Mainland. Currently, the Canadian agency is officially responding to flooding in New Brunswick, while also raising funds for cyclone relief in Myanmar and malaria nets for Africa.