🔗 Share this article Tropical Storm Disaster in Sri Lanka Awakens a Wave of Volunteerism Watch: Sri Lankan communities under water after catastrophic flooding. Local actor and musician GK Reginold rides in a motorised fishing boat through flooded neighborhoods, aiming to deliver food and water to those in desperate need. Many families, he explains, have not received aid for days, isolated by the country's most severe natural catastrophe in recent years. The powerful storm lashed the country last week, bringing widespread destruction that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, left hundreds missing and leveled 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 for getting involved, is to at least help them to have one meal," he shares. "And I was so happy that I was able to do that." Local residents have been taking small vessels out to evacuate people and deliver aid. More than one million people have been impacted by the disaster and a national emergency has been declared. The military has deployed helicopters for rescue operations, 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 share of difficulties in recent years. Activists Pitch In at Community Kitchen In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, individuals who protested in 2022 are now helping run a makeshift kitchen that churns out meals. 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 political change. Now, that political activism is being directed toward cyclone relief. "Some volunteers came after work, some rotated shifts 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 community kitchen in Wijerama, volunteers cook food for flood-affected residents. The organizer also considers the kitchen as an "extension" of his volunteer work in 2016, when torrential rain and floods affected hundreds across the country. Volunteers have compiled hundreds of requests for help, shared them to authorities, and managed the delivery of food. "Every request we made, we got more than enough in response from the community," he notes. Online Initiatives for Aid A wave of coordination is also happening on the internet, where netizens have created a public database to channel resources and volunteers. Another community-run website helps supporters find shelters and identify what is most needed in those areas. Local businesses have launched fundraising efforts, while media outlets have started an effort to provide food and essential items 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". Opposition politicians have claimed authorities of ignoring forecasts, which they say worsened the disaster's effects. Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, arguing that the government was trying to limit debate on the disaster. On the ground, however, there remains a sense of togetherness as people begin the cleanup after the floods. "In the end, the satisfaction of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at aid centers. "Disasters are not new to us. But, the compassion and capacity of our hearts is greater than the destruction that occurs during a disaster."