🔗 Share this article

Local actor and musician GK Reginold rides in a small craft through Colombo's suburbs, aiming to bring essential supplies to those in desperate need.

Some of the families, he explains, have not received aid for days, isolated by the South Asian island nation's most severe natural catastrophe in memory.

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

But the flooding has also inspired 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 for getting involved, is to at least help them to have one meal," he shares. "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 military has sent helicopters for search and rescue, while humanitarian aid is arriving from international partners and non-governmental organisations.

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

Activists Pitch In at Local Food Hub

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

The demonstrations from three years ago were fuelled by a spiralling economic crisis that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Widespread frustration erupted and led to political change. Now, that political activism is being channelled toward disaster response.

"People came after work, some rotated shifts and some even used vacation time to be there," a social media activist 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 volunteer work in 2016, when heavy rains and floods killed hundreds across the country.

The team have gathered hundreds of calls for assistance, shared them to authorities, and managed 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 wave of coordination is also happening on the internet, where netizens have created a public database to direct donations and helpers.

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

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

Facing criticism over the management of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all divisions" and "unite to restore the nation".

Critics have claimed authorities of ignoring forecasts, which they say worsened the disaster's impact.

Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, arguing 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.

"Ultimately, the joy of helping someone else to save lives makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at aid centers.

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