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Sri Lankan actor and musician GK Reginold navigates a motorised fishing boat through flooded neighborhoods, hoping to deliver essential supplies to those in desperate need.

Many families, Mr Reginold says, have not received aid for days, cut off by the South Asian island nation's worst natural catastrophe in recent years.

The powerful storm lashed the country last week, causing widespread destruction that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, with hundreds missing and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also sparked a surge in community help, as people face what national leaders has described as the "most challenging 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 state of emergency has been declared.

The military has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while humanitarian aid is arriving from foreign governments and aid groups.

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

Community Organizers Volunteer at Local Food Hub

In a Colombo suburb, activists who demonstrated in 2022 are now helping run a community 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. Public anger erupted and led to political change. Now, that civic energy is being directed toward cyclone relief.

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

"We reactivated the group 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 torrential rain and floods affected hundreds across the country.

The team have gathered hundreds of calls for assistance, shared them to authorities, and managed the distribution of food.

"Every request we made, we got an overwhelming amount in response from the community," he says.

Online Campaigns for Aid

A wave of coordination is also happening on the internet, where social media users have created a public database to channel resources and helpers.

Another community-run website helps supporters find relief camps and identify what is most needed in those areas.

Private companies have organized fundraising efforts, while media outlets have initiated an campaign to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

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

Critics have accused authorities of disregarding forecasts, which they say worsened the disaster's effects.

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

In affected communities, however, there remains a sense of unity as people begin the cleanup after the floods.

"Ultimately, the satisfaction of helping someone else in a crisis makes that tiredness 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 larger than the damage that occurs during a disaster."