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Sri Lankan actor and musician GK Reginold navigates a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, hoping to deliver food and water to those in urgent circumstances.

Some of the families, he explains, have gone without help for days, isolated by the country's most severe weather disaster in memory.

The powerful storm struck the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 400 people, with hundreds missing and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also sparked a rise in community help, as people face what the president has described as the "most challenging natural disaster" in its history.

"The main reason for getting involved, is to at least help them to have one meal," he shares. "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 state of emergency has been declared.

The military has deployed helicopters for rescue operations, while humanitarian aid is arriving from international partners and aid groups.

But it will be a lengthy process to recovery for the nation, which has seen its fair share of difficulties in recent years.

Community Organizers Pitch In at Community Kitchen

In a Colombo suburb, individuals who protested in 2022 are now operating a makeshift kitchen that produces food aid.

The protests from three years ago were driven 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 channelled toward cyclone relief.

"Some volunteers came after work, some took turns 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 "extension" of his volunteer work 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 delivery of food.

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

Digital Campaigns for Support

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

Another community-run website helps donors find shelters and identify what is in highest demand in those areas.

Local businesses have launched donation drives, while local television channels have started an campaign to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

Amid criticism over the handling of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all political differences" and "unite to rebuild the nation".

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

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

In affected communities, however, there remains a feeling of unity as people pick up the pieces after the floods.

"In the end, the satisfaction of helping someone else in a crisis makes that tiredness fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at aid centers.

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