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Local performer GK Reginold navigates a small craft through Colombo's suburbs, hoping to deliver food and water to those in desperate need.

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

The powerful storm lashed the country last week, bringing widespread destruction that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, with 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 "most challenging 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 so happy 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 armed forces has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while humanitarian aid is arriving from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

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

Community Organizers Volunteer at Community Kitchen

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

The protests from three years ago were driven by a severe economic downturn that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger 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 explains.

"We reactivated the group as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says.

The organizer also views the kitchen as an "extension" of his volunteer work in 2016, when heavy rains and floods affected hundreds across the country.

The team have compiled hundreds of calls for assistance, sent the information to authorities, and managed the distribution of food.

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

Online Initiatives for Support

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

Another volunteer-backed website helps donors find relief camps and see what is in highest demand in those areas.

Private companies have launched fundraising efforts, while media outlets have started an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

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

Critics have claimed authorities of disregarding forecasts, which they say exacerbated the disaster's impact.

Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, arguing that the ruling party 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.

"Ultimately, the joy of helping someone else to save lives makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after working long hours at relief sites.

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