Muslim woman says the food she received in Melbourne’s closed towers is not halal

A Muslim woman trapped in one of Melbourne’s nine public residential towers said she couldn’t eat the food delivered to her door because she didn’t know if it was halal.

TikTok user Dekaspammmm has shared a series of videos describing her experience of locking up her unit as Melbourne battles a second wave of coronavirus infections.

“The first day we got some bread and that thing,” she said in the images, next to a photo of the meal.

“Trust me, you wouldn’t eat it if you could afford your own.

TikTok user Dekaspammmm shared a series of videos describing her experience of locking up her unit as Melbourne battles a second wave of coronavirus infections

Pictured: Volunteers struggle to organize food and personal hygiene supplies at the Australian Muslim Social Services Agency in North Melbourne

Pictured: Victoria Police officers and health workers gather in front of a public housing tower in North Melbourne on Wednesday

“I am Muslim, I have a diet. I cannot eat food that is not halal. How should I know what’s in there? ‘

“And even if it were halal, I don’t think I would eat that honestly, especially if I can afford my own.”

The nine towers in North Melbourne and Flemington were closed immediately on Saturday afternoon.

Three thousand people will remain in detention until all residents have been tested for COVID-19 and the results have been evaluated.

The tower’s lockdown order is for 14 days, but Prime Minister Daniel Andrews hoped to finish it in five days.

However, residents will also have to pass the newly announced six-week third phase lockdown with the rest of the city.

The TikTok user said that Australians interested in supporting residents trapped in the towers can donate to the local mosque, the Australian Muslim Social Services Agency (AMSSA).

A woman in a face mask is seen with donations for the 3,000 residents in nine towers

Bags filled with food and personal hygiene supplies can be seen at AMSSA

She said AMSSA had tried to drop grocery donations where possible, but there were difficulties.

The donations are separate from 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 that we’re locked inside and we can’t go shopping, you know. I appreciate that everyone says “we will try to get this to you”.

“AMSSA has so many stocks at the moment, but the problem is that it doesn’t reach us.

“It doesn’t enter the building. The police say talking to the DHHS and the DHHS says talking to the police, so it’s really just a matter of how it will reach us. ‘

Tuesday evening, AMSSA shared Instagram stories as they prepared to deliver supplies to one of the towers

TikTok user Dekaspammmm said that Australians interested in supporting residents trapped in the towers can donate to the local mosque, the Australian Muslim Social Services Agency. She said AMSSA had tried to drop grocery donations where possible, but there were difficulties

Tuesday evening, 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 at 12 Holland Court, Flemington,” a video caption said.

“So glad the residents can eat something tonight.”

AMSSA said they postponed delivery from Wednesday.

“We stopped bringing in new donations because of space capacity,” they wrote on Facebook.

“Thank you very much for your support.”

Dekaspammmm said it was “unacceptable” that she should not buy her own groceries while she was locked in her high building.

Andrews said on Wednesday that there were a total of 75 cases of COVID-19 among the nine towers.

Victoria registered 134 new cases on Wednesday.

Pictured: Healthcare workers gather outside a residential tower in North Melbourne on Wednesday

Pictured: People unload food and provisions from the back of a ute distributed by firefighters on Tuesday over a public housing tower in North Melbourne