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Sri Lankan performer GK Reginold rides in a motorised fishing boat 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, cut off by the South Asian island nation's most severe natural catastrophe in recent years.

The powerful storm lashed the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 400 people, with hundreds unaccounted for and leveled 20,000 homes.

But the deluge has also sparked a surge in volunteerism, as people face what the president has described as the "most challenging natural disaster" in its history.

"The main reason why I wanted to do this, is to at least ensure they get one meal," Mr Reginold states. "And I was so happy that I was able to do that."

More than one million people have been impacted by the disaster and a national emergency has been declared.

The military has deployed helicopters for rescue operations, while relief assistance is arriving from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

But it will be a long journey to rebuild for the nation, which has seen its share of difficulties in recent years.

Community Organizers Volunteer at Community Kitchen

In a Colombo suburb, activists who demonstrated in 2022 are now helping run a community kitchen that churns out food aid.

The protests from three years ago were fuelled by a spiralling economic crisis that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Widespread frustration erupted and led to a leadership shift. Now, that political activism is being directed toward disaster response.

"Some volunteers came after work, some took turns and some even used vacation time to be there," one organizer 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 "extension" of his community service in 2016, when heavy rains and floods killed hundreds across the country.

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

"Every request we made, we got an overwhelming amount in response from the community," he notes.

Digital Campaigns for Aid

A flurry of activity is also happening on the internet, where netizens have created a public database to direct donations and helpers.

Another community-run website helps supporters find relief camps and see what is most needed in those areas.

Local businesses have launched donation drives, while local television channels have started an effort to provide food and essential items like soap and toothbrushes.

Amid criticism over the management of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all political differences" and "come together to restore the nation".

Critics have accused 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 feeling of unity as people pick up the pieces after the floods.

"In the end, the satisfaction of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion 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 damage that occurs during a disaster."