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Sri Lankan actor and musician GK Reginold rides in a small craft through Colombo's suburbs, hoping to bring food and water to those in desperate need.

Some of the families, he explains, have not received aid for days, isolated by the South Asian island nation's worst weather disaster in memory.

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

But the flooding has also inspired a surge in volunteerism, as citizens face what national leaders has described as the "gravest natural disaster" in its history.

"The main reason for getting involved, is to at least ensure they get 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 national emergency has been announced.

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

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

Community Organizers Volunteer at Local Food Hub

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

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

"Some volunteers 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 "continuation" of his community service in 2016, when torrential rain and floods affected hundreds across the country.

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

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

Digital Campaigns for Aid

A flurry of activity is also happening online, where netizens have created a shared list to direct donations and volunteers.

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

Local businesses have organized donation drives, while media outlets have initiated 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 political differences" and "come together to restore the nation".

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

Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, arguing 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 joy of helping someone else to save lives makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after working long hours at aid centers.

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