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

Some of the families, he explains, have gone without help for days, cut off by the country's most severe weather disaster in recent years.

The powerful storm struck 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 surge in volunteerism, 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 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 announced.

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.

Activists Pitch In at Local Food Hub

In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, activists who protested in 2022 are now operating a makeshift kitchen that produces 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 a leadership shift. Now, that political activism is being channelled toward cyclone relief.

"People came after work, some took turns and some even took leave to be there," a social media activist states.

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

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

Volunteers 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 says.

Digital Campaigns for Support

A wave of coordination is also happening online, where social media users have created a shared list to direct donations and volunteers.

Another community-run website helps supporters find relief camps and identify what is in highest demand in those areas.

Local businesses have launched fundraising efforts, while media outlets have started an effort to provide food and essential items like soap and toothbrushes.

Facing criticism over the management of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all divisions" and "come together to restore the nation".

Opposition politicians have claimed authorities of disregarding forecasts, which they say worsened 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 sense of unity as people begin the cleanup 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 aid centers.

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