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

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 lashed 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 flooding has also inspired a rise in community help, as citizens face what the president 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 affected by the disaster and a national emergency has been announced.

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

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

Activists Volunteer 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 protests from three years ago were driven by a spiralling economic crisis that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger exploded and led to a leadership shift. Now, that political activism is being channelled toward disaster response.

"People 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 considers the kitchen as an "continuation" of his community service in 2016, when heavy rains and floods affected hundreds across the country.

Volunteers have gathered hundreds of requests for help, sent the information to authorities, and organized the distribution of food.

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

Digital Initiatives for Aid

A flurry of activity is also happening on the internet, where social media users have created a shared list to direct donations and volunteers.

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

Private companies have launched donation drives, while local television channels have started an effort 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 "unite to rebuild the nation".

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

Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, claiming that the government was trying to limit debate on the disaster.

In affected communities, however, there remains a feeling of togetherness as people begin the cleanup 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 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."