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Sri Lankan performer GK Reginold navigates a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, hoping to deliver essential supplies to those in desperate need.

Many families, he explains, have not received aid for days, isolated by the country's most severe natural catastrophe in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, causing widespread destruction that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, left hundreds unaccounted for and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the deluge has also sparked a rise in community help, as citizens face what the president has described as the "gravest natural disaster" in its history.

"My primary motivation for getting involved, is to at least ensure they get one meal," Mr Reginold states. "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 declared.

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

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

Community Organizers Pitch In at Local Food Hub

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

The protests from three years ago were driven by a spiralling economic crisis that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Widespread frustration erupted and led to a leadership shift. Now, that political activism is being directed toward cyclone relief.

"People came after work, some rotated shifts and some even took leave 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 "extension" of his volunteer work in 2016, when torrential rain and floods killed hundreds across the country.

The team have compiled hundreds of calls for assistance, shared them to authorities, and organized the delivery of food.

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

Digital Initiatives for Aid

A flurry of activity is also happening online, where netizens have created a public database to channel resources and volunteers.

Another volunteer-backed website helps donors find shelters and identify what is in highest demand in those areas.

Local businesses have launched fundraising efforts, while media outlets have initiated an effort to provide food and essential items like soap and toothbrushes.

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

Critics have accused authorities of ignoring forecasts, which they say worsened the disaster's effects.

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

On the ground, however, there remains a sense of togetherness as people begin the cleanup after the floods.

"In the end, the satisfaction of helping someone else to save lives makes that tiredness fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at relief sites.

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