🔗 Share this article

Local actor and musician GK Reginold rides in a motorised fishing boat through Colombo's suburbs, hoping to deliver essential supplies to those in urgent circumstances.

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

Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, bringing widespread destruction that killed more than 400 people, left hundreds missing and destroyed 20,000 homes.

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

"The main reason why I wanted to do this, is to at least help them to have one meal," he shares. "And I was so happy 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 armed forces has deployed helicopters for rescue operations, while relief assistance is arriving from foreign governments and aid groups.

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

Community Organizers Volunteer at Local Food Hub

In a Colombo suburb, activists who demonstrated in 2022 are now operating a community kitchen that churns out food aid.

The protests from three years ago were driven by a severe economic downturn that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Widespread frustration exploded 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," a social media activist states.

"We mobilized our network 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 affected hundreds across the country.

Volunteers have gathered hundreds of calls for assistance, 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 Initiatives for Aid

A wave of coordination is also happening online, where social media users have created a public database to direct donations and helpers.

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

Private companies have organized donation drives, while local television channels have started 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 political differences" and "unite to rebuild the nation".

Opposition politicians have claimed 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 restrict debate on the disaster.

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

"Ultimately, the satisfaction of helping someone else to save lives makes that exhaustion fade," one volunteer wrote after working long hours at aid centers.

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