🔗 Share this article Tropical Storm Disaster in the Island Nation Ignites a Spirit of Volunteerism Watch: The nation's communities submerged after devastating flooding. Sri Lankan performer GK Reginold navigates a motorised fishing boat through Colombo's suburbs, aiming to deliver food and water to those in urgent circumstances. Some of the families, Mr Reginold says, have gone without help for days, isolated by the South Asian island nation's worst weather disaster in recent years. Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, bringing widespread destruction that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, left hundreds missing and destroyed 20,000 homes. But the flooding has also sparked a rise in volunteerism, as citizens 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 help them to have one meal," he shares. "And I was deeply gratified that I was able to do that." Local residents have been using small vessels out to rescue flood victims and distribute supplies. More than one million people have been impacted by the disaster and a national emergency has been declared. The military has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is arriving from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations. But it will be a lengthy process to rebuild for Sri Lanka, which has seen its share of difficulties in recent years. Activists Volunteer at Community Kitchen In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, individuals who protested in 2022 are now operating a community kitchen that produces food aid. The demonstrations from three years ago were fuelled by a spiralling economic crisis that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to political change. Now, that political activism is being directed toward disaster response. "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 considers the kitchen as an "continuation" of his volunteer work in 2016, when torrential rain and floods affected hundreds across the country. Volunteers have gathered hundreds of calls for assistance, shared them to authorities, and organized the delivery of food. "Every request we made, we got more than enough in response from the community," he says. Digital Initiatives for Support A flurry of activity is also happening online, where netizens have created a public database to direct donations and helpers. Another community-run website helps donors find relief camps and identify what is in highest demand in those areas. Local businesses have organized fundraising efforts, while media outlets have initiated an campaign to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes. Facing criticism over the handling of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all political differences" and "come together to rebuild the nation". Opposition politicians have accused authorities of disregarding forecasts, which they say worsened 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. In affected communities, however, there remains a sense of unity as people pick up the pieces after the floods. "In the end, the joy of helping someone else to save lives makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at aid centers. "Crises are not new to us. But, the empathy and capacity of our hearts is larger than the damage that occurs during a disaster."