🔗 Share this article Cyclone Catastrophe in Sri Lanka Unleashes a Wave of Volunteerism See: Sri Lankan communities submerged after devastating flooding. Local actor and musician GK Reginold navigates a motorised fishing boat through flooded neighborhoods, hoping to deliver food and water to those in desperate need. Many families, Mr Reginold says, have gone without help for days, isolated by the country's most severe weather disaster in recent years. Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, causing widespread destruction that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, left hundreds missing and leveled 20,000 homes. But the flooding has also sparked a surge in volunteerism, 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 help them to have one meal," Mr Reginold states. "And I was deeply gratified that I was able to do that." Volunteers have been taking fishing boats out to evacuate people and deliver aid. More than one million people have been affected by the disaster and a national emergency has been announced. The armed forces has deployed helicopters for rescue operations, while humanitarian aid is flowing in from international partners and non-governmental organisations. But it will be a lengthy process to rebuild for Sri Lanka, which has seen its fair share of difficulties in recent years. Activists Pitch In at Community Kitchen In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, activists who protested in 2022 are now helping run a makeshift kitchen that produces meals. The protests from three years ago were driven by a severe economic downturn that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Widespread frustration erupted and led to a leadership shift. Now, that civic energy is being directed toward cyclone relief. "Some volunteers came after work, some took turns and some even took leave to be there," one organizer states. "We mobilized our network as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says. At a community kitchen in Wijerama, helpers prepare meals for those displaced by water. The organizer also views the kitchen as an "extension" of his community service in 2016, when heavy rains and floods affected 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 Aid A flurry of activity is also happening online, where social media users have created a shared list to direct donations and helpers. Another community-run website helps donors find shelters and see what is in highest demand in those areas. Private companies have launched donation drives, while media outlets have started an campaign to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes. Amid criticism over the management of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all political differences" and "come together to restore the nation". Critics have accused authorities of ignoring weather warnings, which they say worsened the disaster's effects. Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, claiming that the ruling party was trying to limit debate on the disaster. On the ground, however, there remains a sense of togetherness as people pick up the pieces after the floods. "In the end, the satisfaction of helping someone else to save lives makes that tiredness fade," one volunteer wrote after working long hours at relief sites. "Crises are not new to us. But, the compassion and capacity of our hearts is larger than the destruction that occurs during a disaster."