Cyclone Catastrophe in the Island Nation Awakens a Wave of Volunteerism

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

Many families, Mr Reginold says, have not received aid for days, isolated by the country's worst natural catastrophe in recent years.

Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 400 people, left hundreds missing and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also sparked 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 ensure they get one meal," he shares. "And I was so happy 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 announced.

The armed forces has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is flowing in from international partners and non-governmental organisations.

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

Activists Pitch In at Community Kitchen

In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, activists who demonstrated in 2022 are now helping run a makeshift kitchen that churns out meals.

The protests from three years ago were fuelled by a severe economic downturn that caused lack 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 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.

The organizer also considers 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 requests for help, sent the information to authorities, and managed the distribution of food.

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

Digital Initiatives for Support

A flurry of activity is also happening on the internet, where social media users have created a public database to direct donations and volunteers.

Another volunteer-backed website helps donors find relief camps and see 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 essential items like soap and toothbrushes.

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

Opposition politicians have accused authorities of ignoring forecasts, which they say worsened the disaster's impact.

Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, arguing that the government was trying to limit debate on the disaster.

In affected communities, however, there remains a feeling of togetherness as people pick up the pieces after the floods.

"Ultimately, the joy of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion fade," one volunteer 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 destruction that occurs during a disaster."