‘Trust me, you wouldn’t eat it!’ Muslim woman trapped in Melbourne’s misery towers complains the food she is receiving isn’t halal as officials deliver hundreds of care packages
- A Muslim woman said she couldn’t eat food delivered to tower as it wasn’t halal
- TikTok user Dekaspammmm has shared videos while holed up in Melbourne unit
- She said Australians could donate to Australian Muslim Social Services Agency
A Muslim woman locked up in one of Melbourne’s nine public housing towers says she wasn’t able to eat the food delivered to her door as she didn’t know if it was halal.
TikTok user Dekaspammmm has shared a series of videos detailing her experience of being confined to her unit while Melbourne battles a second wave of coronavirus infections.
‘On the first day we received some bread and this thing,’ she said in the footage, alongside a picture of the meal.
‘Trust me you wouldn’t eat it if you could afford your own food.
TikTok user Dekaspammmm has shared a series of videos detailing her experience of being confined to her unit while Melbourne battles a second wave of coronavirus infections
Pictured: Volunteers scramble to organise food and personal hygiene supplies at the Australian Muslim Social Services Agency in North Melbourne
Pictured: Victoria Police officers and healthcare workers congregate outside a public housing tower in North Melbourne on Wednesday
‘I’m Muslim, I have a diet. I can’t eat any food that’s not halal. How am I supposed to know what’s gone into that?’
‘And even if it was halal, I don’t think I’d eat that honestly, especially when I can afford my own food.’
The nine public housing towers in North Melbourne and Flemington were put into immediate lockdown on Saturday afternoon.
Three thousand people will remain in hard lockdown until all residents are tested for COVID-19 and the results are evaluated.
The tower’s lockdown order is for 14 days, but Premier Daniel Andrews hoped to end it in five.
However the residents will also have to endure the newly announced six-week, stage three lockdown with the rest of the city.
The TikTok user said Australians interested in supporting residents stuck in the towers could donate to the local mosque, the Australian Muslim Social Services Agency (AMSSA).
A woman in face mask is seen with donations for the 3,000 residents in nine public housing towers
Bags filled with food and personal hygiene supplies are seen at AMSSA
She said AMSSA had been trying to drop off the grocery donations where possible but there had been difficulties.
The donations are separate to food provided by the government.
‘I don’t want to sound rude but we have money guys, that’s not the problem here,’ Dekaspammmm said in another video.
‘It’s the fact we are locked up inside and we are not allowed to go shopping you know. I appreciate everyone saying ”we will try to get this to you”.
‘AMSSA have so many supplies right now but the problem is it’s not getting to us.
‘It’s not coming up the building. The police say talk to the DHHS and the DHHS are saying talk to the police so it’s really just a case of how is it going to get to us.’
On Tuesday night AMSSA shared Instagram stories as they prepared to deliver supplies to one of the towers
TikTok user Dekaspammmm said Australians interested in supporting residents stuck in the towers could donate to the local mosque, Australian Muslim Social Services Agency. She said AMSSA had been trying to drop off the grocery donations where possible but there had been difficulties
On Tuesday night AMSSA shared Instagram stories as they prepared to deliver supplies to one of the towers.
‘After being denied so many times we finally fought to get the food into 12 Holland Court, Flemington,’ one video was captioned.
‘So glad the residents can have something to eat tonight.’
AMSSA said they were holding off on supplies donations from Wednesday.
‘We’ve stopped taking in new donations due to space capacity,’ they wrote on Facebook.
‘Thank you very much for your support.’
Dekaspammmm said it was ‘unacceptable’ she was not allowed to buy her own groceries while confined to her high-rise building.
Mr Andrews said on Wednesday there were 75 COVID-19 cases in total at the nine public housing towers.
Victoria recorded 134 new cases on Wednesday.
Pictured: Healthcare workers gather outside a public housing tower in North Melbourne on Wednesday
Pictured: People unload food and provisions from the back of a ute which will be distributed by firefighters throughout a public housing tower in North Melbourne on Tuesday