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Local performer GK Reginold rides in a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, aiming to bring food and water to those in desperate need.

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

Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, bringing widespread destruction that killed more than 400 people, with hundreds missing and leveled 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also inspired a rise in community help, as people face what the president has described as the "gravest natural disaster" in its history.

"My primary motivation for getting involved, is to at least help them to have one meal," he shares. "And I was so happy that I was able to do that."

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

The military has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while humanitarian aid is arriving from international partners and aid groups.

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

Community Organizers Volunteer at Community Kitchen

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

The demonstrations 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 political activism is being directed toward cyclone relief.

"People 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 views 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 requests for help, shared them to authorities, and organized the delivery 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 online, where netizens have created a public database to direct donations and volunteers.

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

Private companies have launched donation drives, while local television channels have started an campaign to provide food and essential items like soap and toothbrushes.

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

Critics have accused authorities of disregarding weather warnings, which they say worsened the disaster's effects.

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

On the ground, however, there remains a sense of unity as people pick up the pieces after the floods.

"Ultimately, the satisfaction of helping someone else in a crisis makes that tiredness fade," one volunteer wrote after putting in long hours at relief sites.

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