🔗 Share this article Cyclone Disaster in Sri Lanka Unleashes a Spirit of Community Action See: The nation's communities under water after devastating rains. Sri Lankan performer GK Reginold navigates a small craft through Colombo's suburbs, aiming to deliver essential supplies to those in urgent circumstances. Some of the families, he explains, have not received aid for days, isolated by the country's most severe natural catastrophe 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 inspired a rise in community help, as people 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 ensure they get one meal," he shares. "And I was deeply gratified that I was able to do that." Volunteers have been taking small vessels out to rescue flood victims and deliver aid. 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 search and rescue, while humanitarian aid is arriving from international partners and non-governmental organisations. But it will be a lengthy process to rebuild 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 demonstrated in 2022 are now operating a community kitchen that produces food aid. The protests from three years ago were fuelled by a severe economic downturn 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 took turns 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. At a community kitchen in Wijerama, volunteers prepare meals for flood-affected residents. The organizer also considers the kitchen as an "continuation" of his volunteer work in 2016, when heavy rains and floods killed hundreds across the country. The team have compiled hundreds of requests for help, sent the information to authorities, and organized the delivery of food. "Every request we made, we got more than enough in response from the community," he says. Online Campaigns for Aid A flurry of activity is also happening online, where social media users have created a shared list to direct donations and volunteers. Another volunteer-backed website helps supporters find relief camps and identify what is in highest demand in those areas. Private companies have launched fundraising efforts, while media outlets have initiated an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes. Amid criticism over the handling of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all political differences" and "unite to restore the nation". Opposition politicians have claimed authorities of disregarding weather warnings, which they say exacerbated the disaster's effects. Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, claiming that the ruling party was trying to restrict 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 tiredness fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at relief sites. "Disasters are not new to us. But, the compassion and capacity of our hearts is greater than the damage that occurs during a disaster."