🔗 Share this article

Local performer GK Reginold navigates a motorised fishing boat through Colombo's suburbs, hoping to deliver essential supplies to those in desperate need.

Many families, he explains, have not received aid for days, isolated by the country's most severe natural catastrophe in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, causing widespread destruction that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, with hundreds missing and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also inspired a surge in community help, as citizens 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."

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 rescue operations, while humanitarian aid is flowing in from foreign governments and aid groups.

But it will be a lengthy process to recovery for Sri Lanka, which has seen its fair share of turmoil in recent years.

Activists 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 severe economic downturn that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger exploded and led to a leadership shift. 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 states.

"We reactivated the group as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says.

The organizer also views the kitchen as an "extension" of his volunteer work in 2016, when torrential rain and floods killed hundreds across the country.

The team have gathered hundreds of calls for assistance, sent the information to authorities, and organized the distribution of food.

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

Digital Campaigns for Aid

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

Another volunteer-backed website helps donors find relief camps and identify what is most needed in those areas.

Private companies have organized donation drives, while local television channels have initiated an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

Amid criticism over the management of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all divisions" and "unite to rebuild the nation".

Opposition politicians have claimed authorities of disregarding forecasts, which they say exacerbated the disaster's effects.

Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, claiming that the ruling party was trying to limit debate on the disaster.

In affected communities, however, there remains a feeling of togetherness as people begin the cleanup after the floods.

"In the end, the joy of helping someone else in a crisis makes that tiredness fade," one volunteer wrote after putting in long hours at relief sites.

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