NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – More than $60 billion in federal government aid and more than half a billion dollars to the Red Cross alone have been earmarked to date for relief to those from the areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

That doesn't include the money donated to other charities and relief funds.

A large part of these funds collectively will go to rebuilding infrastructure and clearing out flooded areas. But a good portion will be earmarked for individuals in need of assistance, in the form of cash, food, housing and other essentials.

As of midafternoon Sunday, FEMA had given out $758 million to 364,000 households as part of its $2,000-per-family emergency cash assistance program. To date, more than 400,000 families have registered with FEMA, and more are expected to do so. Once a family registers, said spokesman Michael Widomski, it should take between 12 and 24 hours for FEMA to issue them the money.

The relief agency had been giving out some of the money in the form of debit cards but said last Friday that it would discontinue that form of distribution. Victims will be able to apply for direct deposit aid worth $2,000 through FEMA's Web site, and will receive cash assistance in the form of check or electronic transfer.

The Red Cross, meanwhile, has been giving evacuees between $360 to just over $1,500 in cash depending on family size. As of Monday morning, it had given out over $100 million, said spokeswoman Amanda Mark. In the Houston area, 21,000 households have received money in the form of debit cards and checks. And the agency's 24-hour nationwide toll-free number, which became active Sunday morning, has been receiving about 25,000 calls per hour, Mark said.

Direct cash assistance, however, is a small piece of the aid pie. The Red Cross, for instance, has housed more than 207,000 Katrina survivors in 24 states and has provided 7.6 million hot meals and 6.6 million snacks in the wake of the hurricane.

The longer-term aid picture for Katrina victims is far from clear yet because of the scope of the disaster. But as Katrina victims start to rebuild their lives in the months ahead, there will be other sources of financial assistance available to them.

Not everyone will qualify for all types of aid and federal benefits. For longer term aid, evacuees' overall financial situation may be considered -- for example, how much insurance they have, whether they still receive a paycheck, have a home that is habitable or have already received assistance from other organizations.

But there will be a number of outlets from which they may seek longer term assistance:

FEMA: The federal emergency management agency can provide rental assistance for up to 18 months, said FEMA spokesman Mark Pfeifle. The agency also works with the Small Business Administration to provide disaster victims with low-interest loans. And if an evacuee is out of work but doesn't qualify for regular unemployment compensation – such as a farmer, independent consultant or small business owner – the agency works with the Department of Labor to provide special emergency unemployment compensation, Pfeifle said.

Other federal agencies that pay benefits: President Bush last Thursday said he would grant evacuee status to every resident from counties declared disaster areas as a result of Katrina. That move is intended to facilitate their receiving federal benefits to which they're entitled, in any state where they may be currently.

Those federal benefits include Medicaid, food stamps, housing, child care, school lunches, unemployment compensation and job training.

Charities: The role of charities is to fill in the cracks where government aid leaves off, said Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a nonprofit charity watchdog.

While the Red Cross is primarily for immediate relief, others, like the Salvation Army and the United Way, tend to provide longer term assistance as well.

The Salvation Army, for instance, which has raised $74 million so far, is estimating there will be a minimum of 24 months of work ahead in helping those displaced by the hurricane, said Major George Hood, the organization's national spokesman.

That help could come in many forms: rental assistance, job retraining and counseling among others. The organization's advisers are meeting daily to assess what the longer term needs of the displaced are likely to be.

What they don't want to do is duplicate government aid efforts. So if, say, the government is providing an apartment for an evacuee, the Salvation Army may step in and provide the furniture, Hood said.

In the meantime, the Salvation Army is busy helping to keep Katrina victims in 30 states fed, hydrated and clothed.

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To see Borochoff's list of the top-rated charities offering relief to Katrina victims, click here.

And for a look at what kinds of breaks Katrina victims are getting from banks and the IRS, click here.