Camp Perrin is up in the hills on the road from Les Cayes to Jeremie. Though it is a short, easy drive, the 60,000 strong population is spread out in the countryside, and you could easily pass by without seeing the desolation hurricane Matthew left behind.
According to the local committee for civil protection, around 2,300 houses have been destroyed and thousands more damaged in Camp Perrin alone. Only a few schools are still standing. You don’t see many animals running around: 90 percent of the livestock was lost.
This used to be a lush city. All the leaves are gone, and many trees fell down. But the main streets are clear thanks to the work of civil protection volunteers. They got out in the first few hours after the hurricane with chainsaws to give access to the stranded population, make the hospital accessible again and let families reunite.
The civil protection “brigadiers” are volunteers trained in first response through an emergency preparedness programme supported by UNDP and financed by the European Union.
“A whole new structure is in place, from evacuation to response plans to coordinate efforts. We can see a huge difference from the 2010 earthquake.” - Yvonne Helle, UNDP Country Director in Haiti.
Before the storm, these volunteers reached out to their communities to inform and prepare the people, going door to door in the most at-risk areas. During the worst of the hurricane, they evacuated residents from danger zones, and in the last 10 days, they have been monitoring shelters and distributing whatever help they get – water, hygiene kits, food - never thinking of themselves.
Since 2002, UNDP has been helping improve Haiti’s disaster preparedness and response. Through the Directorate of Civil Protection (DCP), we worked with the government to develop a national disaster risk management system, prepare for various emergency scenarios and better inform the population on risks.
Just two months before the hurricane, a disaster simulation exercise (SIMEX) took place in Camp Perrin. Over a hundred families in one of the most at risk neighbourhoods were evacuated as part of the exercise. During Matthew, none of these people lost their lives or was injured.
“Reality was exactly like the exercise – we knew exactly what to do.” - Chief brigadier Frenel Gay of Camp Perrin.
UNDP also developed risk maps for 12 urban areas across Haiti that helped authorities target priority areas for evacuation and those in most need of support. Local emergency staff, even in remote parts of the country, received phones and other equipment to be operational at all times.
More than 500 DCP brigadiers were mobilized and are currently supporting recovery efforts in the four most affected regions (Grand’Anse, Sud, Nippes, Nord’Ouest).
Often these volunteers have seen their own houses damaged or destroyed and have had no time to start rebuilding. Whenever they have to, they sleep at the local operations centre, and work late. Food is scarce.
Osnel Daudier, 36, has been working in civil protection for 12 years as a coordinator for emergency response. His house is completely destroyed.
“We are not tired of working for the community, even when we ourselves are in distress,” he says.
The DCP has trained more than 1,600 volunteer brigadiers in the country with technical support from UNDP.
Going forward, UNDP will continue its collaboration with the government in the areas of disaster prevention as well as coping with the effects of Hurricane Matthew. The United Nations is seeking $6.15 million as part of the flash appeal to support early recovery, help rebuild infrastructure and restore livelihoods.
UNDP is also raising funds to support the recovery effort in Haiti. To contribute, please visit UNDP.org/helpHaiti
© 2026 United Nations Development Programme
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