Are we morally obligated to help those in need if we are able to?

There are billions of people in need.
If we helped them all, what would we be left with and then what good would we be to anyone and ourselves? And when we're not good to anyone, they'll not hesitate to throw us out in the cold.
And sometimes, helping them causes a false illusion and sets an entitlement of having something that comes without any trying or hard work, so it becomes detrimental in the long run anyway. It also opens up a fantastic playground for scammers.
So nah, I'm not going for morally obligated. Life is not fair, we help where we can in whichever way we can. But we first got to take care of ourselves.

someone undeserving can also be in need, and that's really just too bad.

We should help our neighbors. Those are the people who live in your own community, and you can help in ways that you can afford, such as volunteering at a food pantry or volunteering at a senior center, or volunteering at a drug rehab facility, as I once did.

That being said, it's not always that simple as to whether everyone who claims to be in need is always actually in need.

As humans we are prone to help each other according to our ability and the need. If we are calloused and indifferent to our fellow humans, then we are going against our natural predisposition, and we are not emotionally healthy.

Perhaps with a genuine need but not one which is fabricated for the populace by political impotency.

I don't know about obligation...but it is the kind and moral thing to do.

It's a categorical imperative.

The fact it's a choice makes it so admirable when people do.

Depends on one’s values. If someone identifies as a Christian for example, they are indeed morally obligated—that’s a part of the teachings.

For some reason what comes to mind for me here is a news story I saw a few years ago. It was a video some younger guys took on their cell phone. They were showing how some man had gone into the body of water there & couldn’t swim. He was visibly struggling to get air. They were hooting, laughing, shouting things to him about being stupid. They didn’t call 911. The man drowned, he died. They watched a man struggle & die. It still makes me feel sick to my stomach today thinking how anyone could find the sight of a person frantic on the water, choking, and waving as a humorous thing & want to save the memory on video.