The images of Cyclone Idai are apocalyptic. To see this unfold in Zimbabwe, the country that shaped me as a person, and an artist... It cuts deep. The cyclone swept through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe more than a week ago leaving behind a trail of destruction, a rising death toll and vast numbers of people living with unprecedented flood levels and the threat of cholera, due to contaminated water.

Hearing stories of the cyclone unfold from afar via texts, calls and Facebook was hard. The message came very quickly from those I know saying that this was like nothing that had ever happened before. However, alongside the painful accounts of loss and destruction were heartening stories of people helping those in areas that have been decimated.

The damage is unfathomable. I’m so far removed but we can all see the sheer scale of the work to be done. The area of Chimanimani is among the hardest hit. For many years I helped to run an arts festival there. The festival nurtured developing artists, emerging arts and featured more established names such as the late musician Andy Brown and poets including Albert Nyathi. The beauty of this area is mythical; Middle Earth has nothing on it and when the festival is on it is a truly joyous place.

My family emigrated to Zimbabwe from Tanzania when I was a child. The newly independent nation welcomed scores of experienced, highly educated, black African professionals to build on a bright future for sub-Saharan Africa. I lived there from the age of seven to the age of 26. I’m of a generation that was raised and educated in a “golden era” of Zimbabwe’s history. We also witnessed with horror the rapid economic and political struggles over the years. There aren’t enough words to fully explain and express the scale and toll of what people have been through over the years, but it is truly uplifting to hear stories of how Zimbabweans are grouping together on the ground today, organising convoys of supplies and doing all they can to make a difference.

‘The damage is unfathomable. I’m so far removed but we can all see the sheer scale of the work to be done.’ Photograph: Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters

There is a saying: “One hand washes the other.” Governments can only do so much. I know that people are watching the footage, feeling moved and sending positivity, but what is really needed now is cash to help people survive the short term but also provide a long-term commitment to allow people to rebuild their lives. Let’s remember that this cyclone has wreaked havoc on three countries. I might not have bulldozers and helicopters at my disposal, but we can all pull together to get people back on their feet. That’s why I support the Disasters Emergency Committee because it’s coordinating a fundraising and aid effort by more than a dozen major international aid charities that are working closely with national partners to support the rescue and relief effort, delivering clean water, emergency shelter materials and blankets in addition to food and urgent health assistance.

The scale of the disaster is enormous, with 2.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The situation remains critical. As flood waters recede people are able to see the full extent of the damage, the homes that have been wiped out and the desperate stories of diseases being spread as clean water supplies become contaminated. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose your home and then see your children fall ill with diseases that should be consigned to history.

I’ve lived and worked in the UK for 16 years. In that time I’ve witnessed Britain’s sense of fair play and compassion first hand; values that stretch across continents and link us all as people. What I’ve witnessed over my years in Britain is a real sense of international solidarity. Even now, when there’s a temptation to look inwards and focus on our domestic woes, we cannot look away from those in need, no matter where they are.

• Lucian Msamati is a British-Tanzanian actor and playwright, raised and educated in Zimbabwe. He is well known for his roles in The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Game of Thrones, Luther and Black Earth Rising