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Local performer GK Reginold navigates a motorised fishing boat through flooded neighborhoods, aiming to bring food and water to those in desperate need.

Many families, Mr Reginold says, have gone without help for days, isolated by the South Asian island nation's worst natural catastrophe in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 400 people, with hundreds missing and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also sparked a rise in volunteerism, as citizens face what national leaders has described as the "most challenging natural disaster" in its history.

"The main reason why I wanted to do this, is to at least help them to have 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 announced.

The military has sent helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is flowing in from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

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

The protests from three years ago were fuelled 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 channelled toward disaster response.

"People came after work, some took turns and some even used vacation time to be there," one organizer 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 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.

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

Online Initiatives for Aid

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

Another community-run website helps donors find shelters and see what is in highest demand in those areas.

Private companies have launched donation drives, while local television channels have initiated an campaign to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

Facing criticism over the handling of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all divisions" and "unite to restore the nation".

Opposition politicians have claimed authorities of disregarding forecasts, which they say exacerbated the disaster's effects.

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

On the ground, however, there remains a sense of unity as people pick up the pieces after the floods.

"Ultimately, the joy of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after putting in 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."