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Sri Lankan actor and musician GK Reginold rides in a motorised fishing boat through flooded neighborhoods, hoping to deliver food and water to those in urgent circumstances.

Many families, he explains, have not received aid for days, cut off by the country's most severe weather disaster in recent years.

Cyclone Ditwah struck the country last week, causing widespread destruction that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, with hundreds missing and leveled 20,000 homes.

But the deluge has also sparked a surge in community help, 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 state of emergency has been announced.

The military has sent helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is arriving from international partners and non-governmental organisations.

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

Community Organizers Volunteer at Community Kitchen

In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, 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. Widespread frustration exploded and led to a leadership shift. 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 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 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 distribution of food.

"Every request we made, we got more than enough in response from the community," he notes.

Online Initiatives for Aid

A flurry of activity is also happening on the internet, where social media users have created a public database to direct donations and helpers.

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

Local businesses have organized donation drives, while media outlets have started an effort to provide food and essential items like soap and toothbrushes.

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

Critics have claimed authorities of ignoring weather warnings, which they say exacerbated the disaster's impact.

Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, arguing that the ruling party was trying to limit debate on the disaster.

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

"In the end, the satisfaction of helping someone else in a crisis makes that tiredness fade," the organizer wrote after working long hours at aid centers.

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