🔗 Share this article Tropical Storm Disaster in Sri Lanka Ignites a Spirit of Community Action Watch: Sri Lankan communities under water after catastrophic flooding. Local performer GK Reginold navigates a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, aiming to deliver essential supplies to those in urgent circumstances. Some of the families, he explains, have gone without help for days, cut off by the country's worst weather disaster in memory. Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, causing catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 400 people, left 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 why I wanted to do this, 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 small vessels out to rescue flood victims and distribute supplies. More than one million people have been affected by the disaster and a state of emergency has been declared. The military has sent helicopters for search and rescue, while humanitarian aid is flowing in from foreign governments and aid groups. But it will be a lengthy process to recovery for the nation, which has seen its fair share of turmoil in recent years. Activists Volunteer at Community Kitchen In a Colombo suburb, individuals who demonstrated in 2022 are now helping run a community kitchen that produces food aid. The protests 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 a leadership shift. Now, that civic energy is being directed toward disaster response. "People came after work, some took turns and some even took leave to be there," one organizer explains. "We reactivated the group as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says. At a local kitchen in Wijerama, helpers prepare meals for flood-affected residents. The organizer also views the kitchen as an "continuation" of his volunteer work in 2016, when heavy rains and floods killed hundreds across the country. Volunteers have gathered hundreds of requests for help, sent the information to authorities, and managed the delivery of food. "Every request we made, we got more than enough in response from the community," he says. Digital Initiatives for Aid A flurry of activity is also happening online, where netizens have created a shared list to channel resources and volunteers. Another volunteer-backed website helps donors find shelters and see what is in highest demand in those areas. Private companies have launched donation drives, while media outlets have initiated an campaign to provide food and essential items like soap and toothbrushes. Amid criticism over the management of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all divisions" and "come together to rebuild the nation". Critics have accused authorities of disregarding forecasts, which they say exacerbated the disaster's effects. Recently, opposition lawmakers protested 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. "Ultimately, the joy of helping someone else in a crisis 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."