🔗 Share this article Tropical Storm Disaster in the Island Nation Ignites a Spirit of Volunteerism Watch: Sri Lankan communities submerged after catastrophic flooding. Sri Lankan performer GK Reginold rides in a motorised fishing boat through Colombo's suburbs, aiming to bring essential supplies to those in urgent circumstances. Many families, Mr Reginold says, have not received aid for days, cut off by the South Asian island nation's worst natural catastrophe in recent years. The powerful storm lashed the country last week, causing catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, with hundreds missing and destroyed 20,000 homes. But the flooding has also sparked a surge in volunteerism, 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 help them to have 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 military has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while humanitarian aid is arriving from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations. But it will be a long journey to rebuild for the nation, which has seen its share of difficulties in recent years. Activists Pitch In at Community Kitchen In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, activists who demonstrated in 2022 are now operating a makeshift kitchen that churns out food aid. The demonstrations from three years ago were fuelled by a spiralling economic crisis that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger exploded and led to political change. Now, that political activism is being directed toward disaster response. "People came after work, some took turns and some even used vacation time to be there," one organizer states. "We mobilized our network 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 community service in 2016, when torrential rain and floods affected hundreds across the country. Volunteers have compiled hundreds of calls for assistance, shared them to authorities, and organized the delivery of food. "Every request we made, we got an overwhelming amount in response from the community," he notes. Digital Initiatives for Aid A flurry of activity is also happening on the internet, where social media users have created a shared list to channel resources and helpers. Another community-run website helps donors find shelters and see what is in highest demand in those areas. Private companies have organized donation drives, while local television channels have initiated an campaign to provide food and essential items like soap and toothbrushes. Facing 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 weather warnings, which they say exacerbated the disaster's effects. Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, claiming that the ruling party was trying to restrict debate on the disaster. On the ground, however, there remains a sense of togetherness as people pick up the pieces after the floods. "Ultimately, the satisfaction of helping someone else to save lives makes that tiredness fade," one volunteer wrote after putting in long hours at relief sites. "Disasters are not new to us. But, the compassion and capacity of our hearts is larger than the damage that occurs during a disaster."