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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.

Some of the families, he explains, have gone without help for days, isolated by the country's most severe natural catastrophe in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, bringing widespread destruction 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 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," Mr Reginold states. "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 armed forces has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is arriving from foreign governments and aid groups.

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

Community Organizers Pitch In at Local Food Hub

In a Colombo suburb, individuals who protested in 2022 are now helping run a makeshift kitchen that produces food aid.

The demonstrations from three years ago were driven by a severe economic downturn that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to a leadership shift. Now, that political activism is being channelled toward disaster response.

"Some volunteers came after work, some rotated shifts and some even used vacation time to be there," one organizer 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 volunteer work in 2016, when torrential rain and floods affected hundreds across the country.

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

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

Online Campaigns for Support

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

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

Private companies have organized donation drives, while media outlets have started an campaign to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

Facing criticism over the handling of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all divisions" and "unite to rebuild the nation".

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

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

On the ground, however, there remains a sense 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 exhaustion fade," one volunteer wrote after working long hours at relief sites.

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