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Local actor and musician GK Reginold navigates a motorised fishing boat 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 South Asian island nation's worst natural catastrophe in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, bringing 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 community help, as people face what the president has described as the "gravest 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 declared.

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

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

Activists Pitch In at Local Food Hub

In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, activists who demonstrated in 2022 are now helping run a community kitchen that churns out meals.

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

"Some volunteers came after work, some took turns and some even took leave 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 considers the kitchen as an "continuation" of his community service in 2016, when heavy rains and floods affected hundreds across the country.

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

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

Digital Initiatives for Aid

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

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

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

Amid criticism over the management of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all political differences" and "unite to rebuild the nation".

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

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

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

"In the end, the satisfaction 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 greater than the destruction that occurs during a disaster."