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Sri Lankan actor and musician GK Reginold rides in a motorised fishing boat through flooded neighborhoods, aiming to bring essential supplies to those in urgent circumstances.

Many families, he explains, have not received aid for days, isolated by the South Asian island nation's most severe natural catastrophe in recent years.

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

But the deluge has also sparked a surge in volunteerism, as citizens face what the president has described as the "most challenging 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 state of emergency has been declared.

The armed forces has deployed helicopters for rescue operations, while humanitarian aid is arriving from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

But it will be a long journey to rebuild for Sri Lanka, which has seen its fair share of difficulties in recent years.

Activists Volunteer at Community Kitchen

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 lack of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to political change. 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," one organizer explains.

"We mobilized our network as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says.

The organizer also considers the kitchen as an "continuation" of his community service in 2016, when torrential rain and floods killed hundreds across the country.

The team have compiled hundreds of requests for help, shared them to authorities, and managed the delivery of food.

"Every request we made, we got an overwhelming amount in response from the community," he notes.

Online Campaigns for Aid

A wave of coordination is also happening online, where netizens have created a shared list to channel resources and helpers.

Another volunteer-backed website helps supporters find relief camps and identify 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 handling of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all divisions" and "unite to rebuild the nation".

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

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

On the ground, 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 tiredness fade," one volunteer wrote after working long hours at relief sites.

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