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Sri Lankan performer GK Reginold navigates a small craft through Colombo's suburbs, aiming to bring food and water to those in urgent circumstances.

Some of the families, Mr Reginold says, have gone without help for days, cut off by the South Asian island nation's most severe weather disaster in recent years.

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

But the deluge has also sparked a rise 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," 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 state of emergency has been declared.

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

Activists Pitch In at Local Food Hub

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

The protests from three years ago were driven by a spiralling economic crisis that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to a leadership shift. 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 reactivated the group 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 torrential rain and floods affected 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 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 direct donations and volunteers.

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

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

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

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

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

In affected communities, however, there remains a feeling of togetherness 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 relief sites.

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