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Local actor and musician GK Reginold rides in a motorised fishing boat through flooded neighborhoods, aiming to deliver food and water to those in desperate need.

Some of the families, Mr Reginold says, have not received aid for days, cut off by the South Asian island nation's most severe natural catastrophe in memory.

The powerful storm struck the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, left hundreds missing and leveled 20,000 homes.

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

"My primary motivation why I wanted to do this, is to at least help them to have one meal," Mr Reginold states. "And I was deeply gratified 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 deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is flowing in from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

But it will be a long journey to recovery for Sri Lanka, which has seen its fair share of difficulties in recent years.

Community Organizers Pitch In at Community Kitchen

In a Colombo suburb, activists who demonstrated in 2022 are now helping run a makeshift kitchen that churns out food aid.

The demonstrations from three years ago were fuelled by a spiralling economic crisis that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to political change. Now, that civic energy is being directed toward cyclone relief.

"Some volunteers came after work, some rotated shifts 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 community service in 2016, when heavy rains and floods killed hundreds across the country.

Volunteers have compiled hundreds of calls for assistance, sent the information to authorities, and organized the distribution of food.

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

Online Initiatives for Aid

A flurry of activity is also happening on the internet, where social media users have created a public database to channel resources and volunteers.

Another volunteer-backed website helps donors find relief camps and see what is most needed in those areas.

Private companies have launched fundraising efforts, while local television channels have started an campaign to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

Amid criticism over the management of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all political differences" and "come together to rebuild the nation".

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

Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, claiming that the government was trying to limit 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 joy of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at relief sites.

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