Cyclone Catastrophe in the Island Nation Unleashes a Wave of Volunteerism

Local actor and musician GK Reginold rides in a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, hoping to bring food and water to those in urgent circumstances.

Many families, Mr Reginold says, have not received aid for days, isolated by the country's most severe weather disaster in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 400 people, left hundreds unaccounted for and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also sparked a surge in volunteerism, as people 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 help them to have one meal," Mr Reginold states. "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 national emergency has been declared.

The armed forces has deployed helicopters for rescue operations, 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 difficulties in recent years.

Community Organizers Pitch In at Local Food Hub

In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, activists who protested 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 erupted and led to a leadership shift. Now, that civic energy 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 considers 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 organized the distribution of food.

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

Online Campaigns for Support

A wave of coordination is also happening on the internet, where netizens have created a shared list to direct donations and helpers.

Another volunteer-backed website helps supporters find shelters and see what is in highest demand 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.

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

Opposition politicians have accused authorities of disregarding forecasts, 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.

On the ground, however, there remains a sense of unity as people begin the cleanup after the floods.

"In the end, the joy of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion fade," one volunteer 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."