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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.

Many 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.

Cyclone Ditwah struck the country last week, causing widespread destruction that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, left hundreds missing and leveled 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also sparked a rise in community help, 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 ensure they get one meal," he shares. "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 humanitarian aid is arriving from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

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

Activists Pitch In at Community Kitchen

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

The protests from three years ago were driven by a spiralling economic crisis that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger exploded and led to a leadership shift. Now, that political activism is being channelled toward cyclone relief.

"People came after work, some rotated shifts and some even took leave to be there," a social media activist states.

"We reactivated the group as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says.

The organizer also views the kitchen as an "extension" of his volunteer work in 2016, when torrential rain and floods killed hundreds across the country.

Volunteers have gathered hundreds of calls for assistance, sent the information to authorities, and managed the delivery of food.

"Every request we made, we got more than enough in response from the community," he says.

Online Initiatives for Support

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

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

Private companies have organized donation drives, while local television channels 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 "set aside all political differences" and "come together to restore the nation".

Critics have accused authorities of disregarding weather warnings, which they say exacerbated the disaster's impact.

Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, arguing that the ruling party was trying to restrict 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 to save lives makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after working long hours at relief sites.

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