🔗 Share this article Tropical Storm Disaster in the Island Nation Unleashes a Wave of Volunteerism Watch: Sri Lankan communities submerged after catastrophic flooding. Sri Lankan performer GK Reginold navigates a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, aiming to bring food and water to those in desperate need. 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 struck the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 400 people, with hundreds missing and leveled 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 help them to have one meal," Mr Reginold states. "And I was so happy that I was able to do that." Volunteers have been using fishing boats out to evacuate people and deliver aid. More than one million people have been affected by the disaster and a state of emergency has been announced. The military has sent helicopters for rescue operations, while humanitarian aid is flowing in from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations. But it will be a lengthy process to recovery for Sri Lanka, which has seen its fair share of turmoil in recent years. Community Organizers Volunteer at Community Kitchen In a Colombo suburb, individuals who demonstrated in 2022 are now helping run a makeshift kitchen that produces meals. The demonstrations from three years ago were fuelled 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 channelled toward cyclone relief. "People came after work, some rotated shifts 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 cook food for flood-affected residents. The organizer also views the kitchen as an "continuation" of his community service in 2016, when torrential rain and floods affected hundreds across the country. Volunteers have gathered hundreds of calls for assistance, sent the information to authorities, and managed the delivery of food. "Whatever we asked for, we got an overwhelming amount in response from the community," he notes. Digital Initiatives for Support A wave of coordination is also happening on the internet, where social media users have created a public database to channel resources and volunteers. Another community-run website helps donors find relief camps and identify what is most needed in those areas. Local businesses have organized fundraising efforts, while local television channels have initiated an effort to provide food and essential items like soap and toothbrushes. Amid criticism over the handling 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 disregarding weather warnings, which they say worsened the disaster's impact. 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 feeling of togetherness as people begin the cleanup after the floods. "In the end, the satisfaction 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."