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Sri Lankan performer GK Reginold rides in a small craft through Colombo's suburbs, aiming to deliver essential supplies to those in urgent circumstances.

Some of the families, he explains, have not received aid for days, cut off by the country's worst natural catastrophe in recent years.

The powerful storm lashed the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, with hundreds unaccounted for and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding 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 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 affected by the disaster and a state of emergency has been announced.

The military has sent helicopters for rescue operations, while humanitarian aid is arriving from international partners and non-governmental organisations.

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

Activists Pitch In at Community Kitchen

In a Colombo suburb, individuals who demonstrated in 2022 are now operating a community kitchen that produces meals.

The protests from three years ago were driven by a spiralling economic crisis that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger exploded and led to political change. Now, that civic energy is being directed 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 considers 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 calls for assistance, 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 Support

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 volunteer-backed website helps supporters find relief camps and see what is most needed in those areas.

Private companies have organized fundraising efforts, while local television channels have initiated an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

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

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

Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, arguing that the ruling party was trying to restrict debate on the disaster.

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

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

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