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Local actor and musician GK Reginold rides in a small craft through Colombo's suburbs, aiming to deliver food and water to those in urgent circumstances.

Some of the families, he explains, have gone without help for days, cut off by the South Asian island nation's most severe natural catastrophe in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah struck the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides 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 "most challenging 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 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 declared.

The armed forces has sent helicopters for search and rescue, while humanitarian aid is arriving from foreign governments and aid groups.

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

Community Organizers Pitch In at Community Kitchen

In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, individuals who demonstrated in 2022 are now operating a community kitchen that churns out food aid.

The protests from three years ago were fuelled by a severe economic downturn that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Widespread frustration 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," one organizer explains.

"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 torrential rain and floods affected hundreds across the country.

Volunteers have gathered hundreds of requests for help, shared them to authorities, and managed the delivery of food.

"Whatever we asked for, we got an overwhelming amount in response from the community," he notes.

Digital Initiatives for Aid

A wave of coordination is also happening online, where social media users have created a shared list to direct donations and volunteers.

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

Private companies have launched donation drives, while media outlets have initiated an campaign to provide food and essential items like soap and toothbrushes.

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

Opposition politicians have accused authorities of disregarding weather warnings, which they say exacerbated the disaster's effects.

Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, arguing that the ruling party was trying to limit debate on the disaster.

In affected communities, however, there remains a feeling of togetherness 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 larger than the damage that occurs during a disaster."