🔗 Share this article Tropical Storm Catastrophe in Sri Lanka Awakens a Wave of Volunteerism See: The nation's communities submerged after devastating flooding. Local actor and musician GK Reginold navigates a motorised fishing boat through Colombo's suburbs, hoping to bring essential supplies to those in urgent circumstances. Some of the families, he explains, have gone without help for days, isolated by the country's worst natural catastrophe in recent years. The powerful storm lashed the country last week, causing widespread destruction that killed more than 400 people, with hundreds missing and leveled 20,000 homes. But the deluge has also sparked a rise in volunteerism, as people face what national leaders has described as the "gravest natural disaster" in its history. "The main reason for getting involved, is to at least ensure they get one meal," he shares. "And I was deeply gratified that I was able to do that." Volunteers have been taking fishing boats out to evacuate people and deliver aid. More than one million people have been impacted by the disaster and a state of emergency has been declared. The armed forces has sent helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is flowing in from international partners and aid groups. But it will be a lengthy process to recovery for Sri Lanka, which has seen its share of turmoil in recent years. Community Organizers Volunteer at Community Kitchen In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, individuals who protested in 2022 are now helping run a makeshift kitchen that churns out food aid. The protests from three years ago were fuelled by a spiralling economic crisis that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger exploded and led to a leadership shift. Now, that civic energy is being channelled toward cyclone relief. "Some volunteers came after work, some rotated shifts and some even took leave to be there," one organizer explains. "We mobilized our network as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says. At a local kitchen in Wijerama, helpers cook food for those displaced by water. The organizer also views the kitchen as an "continuation" of his community service in 2016, when heavy rains and floods affected hundreds across the country. The team have gathered hundreds of requests for help, 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 wave of coordination is also happening online, where netizens have created a shared list to channel resources and volunteers. Another volunteer-backed website helps supporters find relief camps and see what is in highest demand in those areas. Private companies have organized donation drives, while media outlets have started an campaign to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes. Amid criticism over the handling of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all divisions" and "come together to rebuild the nation". Critics have claimed authorities of ignoring weather warnings, which they say exacerbated the disaster's impact. Recently, opposition lawmakers protested in parliament, arguing that the ruling party was trying to limit 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 joy of helping someone else to save lives makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after working long hours at relief sites. "Crises are not new to us. But, the compassion and capacity of our hearts is greater than the destruction that occurs during a disaster."