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Local performer GK Reginold navigates a motorised fishing boat through flooded neighborhoods, hoping to bring essential supplies to those in desperate need.

Some of the families, he explains, have not received aid for days, cut off by the country's worst weather disaster in recent years.

Cyclone Ditwah struck the country last week, causing catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, left hundreds unaccounted for and leveled 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also inspired a rise in volunteerism, as people face what national leaders has described as the "most challenging natural disaster" in its history.

"My primary motivation why I wanted to do this, is to at least help them to have one meal," he shares. "And I was deeply gratified that I was able to do that."

More than one million people have been impacted by the disaster and a national emergency has been announced.

The armed forces has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is flowing in from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

But it will be a lengthy process to recovery for the nation, which has seen its share of turmoil in recent years.

Activists Volunteer at Community Kitchen

In a Colombo suburb, activists who protested in 2022 are now helping run a community kitchen that churns out meals.

The protests from three years ago were driven by a severe economic downturn that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger exploded and led to a leadership shift. Now, that civic energy is being channelled toward disaster response.

"People came after work, some rotated shifts and some even used vacation time to be there," a social media activist explains.

"We reactivated the group as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says.

The organizer also views the kitchen as an "extension" of his volunteer work in 2016, when heavy rains and floods killed hundreds across the country.

Volunteers have compiled hundreds of calls for assistance, shared them to authorities, and organized the distribution of food.

"Whatever we asked for, we got more than enough in response from the community," he says.

Online Initiatives for Support

A wave of coordination is also happening on the internet, where social media users have created a public database to channel resources and volunteers.

Another volunteer-backed website helps supporters find shelters and see what is in highest demand in those areas.

Private companies have organized fundraising efforts, while media outlets have initiated an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

Amid criticism over the management of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all political differences" and "come together to restore the nation".

Opposition politicians have claimed authorities of ignoring weather warnings, which they say exacerbated the disaster's effects.

Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, claiming that the ruling party was trying to restrict debate on the disaster.

In affected communities, however, there remains a sense of unity as people pick up the pieces after the floods.

"In the end, the joy of helping someone else in a crisis makes that tiredness fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at relief sites.

"Disasters are not new to us. But, the compassion and capacity of our hearts is greater than the damage that occurs during a disaster."