El Niño-driven drought grips Port-Salut's Berlote as wells run dry
Residents of the coastal commune's fourth section report nearly four months without rain, forcing long treks for water.
PORT-SALUT, Haiti — The fourth section of Port-Salut, particularly the locality of Berlote, has faced a persistent absence of rainfall for nearly four months, a drought attributed to El Niño, according to Le Nouvelliste. The paper reported that residents are being forced to travel long distances to obtain water, sometimes by motorcycle and sometimes by renting machines, based on testimonies gathered on the ground. The situation adds a further burden to families already made vulnerable. 'Because there is no water, there is no life,' Maxon Aubourg, a resident of the area, told Magik9 in an interview on September 7, 2026, summarizing the scale of the crisis. Le Nouvelliste noted that livestock farmers are also affected by the prolonged dry conditions. Photographs published with the report showed a tap left without water supply in the area. Additional details on the drought's full impact and any planned response were not immediately available. The report underscores mounting water-access challenges in Haiti's southern communes as the region contends with the effects of El Niño weather patterns.