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

Many families, Mr Reginold says, have not received aid for days, cut off by the country's most severe weather disaster in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah struck the country last week, causing widespread destruction that killed more than 400 people, with hundreds unaccounted for and leveled 20,000 homes.

But the deluge has also sparked a rise in community help, 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 ensure they get 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 declared.

The military has deployed helicopters for rescue operations, while relief assistance is arriving from foreign governments and aid groups.

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

Community Organizers Volunteer at Local Food Hub

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

The demonstrations from three years ago were driven by a spiralling economic crisis that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to political change. Now, that civic energy 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 "extension" of his community service in 2016, when heavy rains and floods killed hundreds across the country.

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

"Whatever we asked for, we got more than enough in response from the community," he notes.

Digital Campaigns for Support

A flurry of activity 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 donation drives, while local television channels have started an campaign to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

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

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

Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, claiming 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.

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

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