Honduras declared a drought alert covering nearly 80% of its territory on 19 August, including the capital Tegucigalpa, as the El Niño climate phenomenon intensifies an already severe water shortage. The crisis is hitting hardest in the country's "dry corridor" (a semi-arid belt stretching across central and southern Honduras), where crops are failing and livestock are dying from lack of water and fodder — with some farmers reporting the loss of several cattle. Residents in communities near Tegucigalpa have faced water cuts lasting up to twelve days, and authorities warn the situation is likely to worsen before the El Niño cycle peaks between October and December, with meteorologists cautioning this could be among the most powerful such events on record.