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Local performer GK Reginold navigates a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, aiming to bring food and water to those in urgent circumstances.

Many families, he explains, have gone without help for days, cut off by the country's worst weather disaster in memory.

The powerful storm lashed the country last week, bringing widespread destruction that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, with hundreds unaccounted for and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also sparked a rise in volunteerism, as citizens face what the president has described as the "gravest natural disaster" in its history.

"The main reason for getting involved, 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 state of emergency has been declared.

The military has sent helicopters for rescue operations, while relief assistance is flowing in from foreign governments and aid groups.

But it will be a long journey to recovery for the nation, which has seen its fair share of difficulties in recent years.

Community Organizers Volunteer at Local Food Hub

In a Colombo suburb, activists who protested in 2022 are now operating a community kitchen that churns out food aid.

The protests from three years ago were fuelled by a severe economic downturn that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Widespread frustration exploded and led to political change. Now, that civic energy is being directed toward cyclone relief.

"Some volunteers came after work, some rotated shifts and some even used vacation time to be there," one organizer explains.

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

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

The team have compiled hundreds of calls for assistance, shared them to authorities, and organized the delivery of food.

"Every request we made, we got more than enough in response from the community," he notes.

Digital Campaigns for Aid

A flurry of activity is also happening online, where netizens have created a public database to channel resources and volunteers.

Another community-run website helps donors find shelters and see what is in highest demand in those areas.

Local businesses have organized donation drives, while media outlets have initiated an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

Facing criticism over the management of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all political differences" and "unite to restore the nation".

Opposition politicians have accused authorities of ignoring forecasts, which they say exacerbated the disaster's effects.

Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, arguing that the government was trying to restrict debate on the disaster.

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

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

"Crises are not new to us. But, the empathy and capacity of our hearts is larger than the destruction that occurs during a disaster."