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Local actor and musician GK Reginold navigates a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, hoping to bring essential supplies to those in urgent circumstances.

Some of the families, he explains, have gone without help for days, cut off by the South Asian island nation's most severe weather disaster in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, left hundreds unaccounted for and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also sparked a rise in volunteerism, as people face what the president 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," Mr Reginold states. "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 deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is arriving from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

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

Activists Pitch In at Local Food Hub

In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, individuals who demonstrated in 2022 are now helping run a community kitchen that produces food aid.

The demonstrations from three years ago were fuelled by a severe economic downturn that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to political change. Now, that civic energy is being directed toward disaster response.

"Some volunteers came after work, some took turns and some even used vacation time 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.

Volunteers have gathered hundreds of requests for help, shared them to authorities, and managed the distribution of food.

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

Digital Campaigns for Aid

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

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

Private companies have organized fundraising efforts, while media outlets have initiated an campaign to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

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

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

Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, arguing that the government was trying to restrict debate on the disaster.

In affected communities, however, there remains a sense of unity as people pick up the pieces after the floods.

"Ultimately, the satisfaction of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at aid centers.

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