Cyclone Catastrophe in Sri Lanka Unleashes a Spirit of Community Action

Local actor and musician GK Reginold rides in a motorised fishing boat through Colombo's suburbs, hoping to deliver essential supplies to those in desperate need.

Some of the families, Mr Reginold says, have gone without help for days, cut off by the country's most severe weather disaster in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah struck the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, left hundreds missing and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also inspired a surge in volunteerism, as people face what national leaders 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 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 lengthy process to rebuild for Sri Lanka, which has seen its fair share of turmoil in recent years.

Community Organizers Volunteer at Local Food Hub

In a Colombo suburb, individuals who demonstrated in 2022 are now operating a makeshift kitchen that churns out 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 disaster response.

"Some volunteers came after work, some rotated shifts and some even used vacation time to be there," a social media activist states.

"We mobilized our network 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 heavy rains and floods affected hundreds across the country.

Volunteers have gathered hundreds of requests for help, sent the information to authorities, and managed the distribution of food.

"Every request we made, we got more than enough in response from the community," he notes.

Online Initiatives for Support

A wave of coordination is also happening online, where social media users have created a public database 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 launched fundraising efforts, while local television channels 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 claimed authorities of ignoring forecasts, which they say exacerbated the disaster's effects.

Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout 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 pick up the pieces after the floods.

"Ultimately, the satisfaction of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion fade," one volunteer wrote after putting in long hours at aid centers.

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