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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 urgent circumstances.

Many families, Mr Reginold says, have not received aid for days, isolated by the country's worst weather disaster in recent years.

Cyclone Ditwah struck the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 400 people, with hundreds missing and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the deluge has also inspired a rise in volunteerism, as people face what national leaders 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 impacted by the disaster and a national emergency has been declared.

The armed forces has sent helicopters for rescue operations, while relief assistance is arriving from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

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

Community Organizers Pitch In 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 demonstrations from three years ago were driven by a spiralling economic crisis that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to political change. Now, that political activism is being channelled toward cyclone relief.

"People came after work, some rotated shifts and some even took leave to be there," one organizer states.

"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 calls for assistance, shared them to authorities, and managed the delivery of food.

"Whatever we asked for, we got an overwhelming amount in response from the community," he says.

Online Campaigns for Support

A flurry of activity 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 identify what is in highest demand in those areas.

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

Facing criticism over the handling of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all divisions" and "come together to rebuild the nation".

Critics have claimed authorities of disregarding forecasts, which they say exacerbated the disaster's impact.

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

In affected communities, however, there remains a sense of togetherness as people begin the cleanup after the floods.

"In the end, the joy of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer 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 damage that occurs during a disaster."