🔗 Share this article Cyclone Disaster in Sri Lanka Ignites a Wave of Volunteerism Watch: Sri Lankan communities under water after devastating flooding. Sri Lankan performer GK Reginold rides in a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, aiming to bring food and water to those in desperate need. Some of the families, Mr Reginold says, have gone without help for days, cut off by the country's most severe weather disaster in memory. Cyclone Ditwah struck the country last week, bringing catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, left hundreds missing and leveled 20,000 homes. But the flooding has also inspired a surge in volunteerism, as people face what national leaders 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," he shares. "And I was deeply gratified that I was able to do that." Volunteers have been using small vessels out to evacuate people and distribute supplies. More than one million people have been affected by the disaster and a national emergency has been declared. The armed forces has sent helicopters for rescue operations, while humanitarian aid is flowing in from international partners and aid groups. But it will be a lengthy process to rebuild for Sri Lanka, which has seen its fair share of difficulties in recent years. Community Organizers Volunteer at Community Kitchen In a Colombo suburb, individuals who demonstrated in 2022 are now helping run a makeshift kitchen that churns out food aid. The protests from three years ago were driven by a severe economic downturn that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to a leadership shift. Now, that political activism is being channelled toward disaster response. "Some volunteers came after work, some rotated shifts and some even used vacation time to be there," one organizer states. "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 "extension" of his community service in 2016, when heavy rains and floods killed hundreds across the country. Volunteers have compiled 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 Aid 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 donors find shelters and see what is in highest demand in those areas. Local businesses have launched donation drives, while media outlets have started an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes. Amid criticism over the management of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all political differences" and "unite to restore the nation". Critics have accused authorities of ignoring weather warnings, 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 feeling of unity as people begin the cleanup after the floods. "Ultimately, the joy of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after working long hours at aid centers. "Crises are not new to us. But, the empathy and size of our hearts is greater than the destruction that occurs during a disaster."