Foodbank is the charity people often turn to in times of need, but now it’s the national not-for-profit food provider that has pleaded for help.
In September last year, Foodbank opened a warehouse and food hub in Alice Springs to provide long-term food security for the growing number of families unable to put food on the table.
Since then Foodbank said it has supplied a quarter of a million meals.
That was before the outbreak of COVID in the Centre and flooding in South Australia that tore up hundreds of kilometres of rail line and severed the Stuart Highway.
The loss of these vital supply lines means the sight of empty supermarket shelves and freezers has become a daily reality for Territorians.
In Central Australia, thousands of people in communities and town camps have been placed in isolation, with Foodbank the major relief agency that provides goods to Aboriginal community organisations and government agencies to ensure these people don’t go hungry.
Jessica Wishart runs Foodbank’s operations in Alice Springs and said these food programs were under threat.
“We have had no stock here for over a week," she told NITV News.
"To meet the demand currently we need another fifty pallets of stock to make sure that we’re getting out to communities and we’re getting to families that are in isolation."
The Australian Defence Force has committed to flying in 20 tonnes of relief supplies for the residents of flood-stricken Coober Pedy in South Australia’s north.
Foodbank's Jessica Wishart. Source: Supplied
Ms Wishart says a similar commitment is needed for Alice Springs.
“We just really need the government to get on board... if we can’t get supplies in through trucks then they’re going to have to look at air freight and we hope that’s sooner rather than later.”
Ms Wishart said donations to Foodbank have almost ceased as demand continues to rise.
"They’re all in isolation, they don’t have any stock going out there... there are hungry people, there are hungry children.
"We really need to get serious about making sure that they have supply out there."
One of the agencies Foodbank supplies is Tangentyre Council. It provides food hampers to more than 500 people isolating in Alice Springs town camps.
The empty meat case at Woolworths Alice Springs Source: Facebook: Dan Tyson
“At the moment our immediate concern is just making sure people have enough food to be able to self - isolate safely and so what we’re doing is providing more food to the households who have a high number of residents,” executive officer Anna Flouris said.
Some trucks are entering the Northern Territory from Queensland and some lines are returning to supermarket shelves, but restoration of full rail services are still a long way off.
The Australian Rail Track corporation has released an update on repairs.
"Repair works are underway along a section of track over 300 kilometres in length – a small section of track remains inaccessible - and the track will remain closed for at least twelve days,” read a statement.
A flooded section of rail in outback South Australia. Source: Australian Rail Track Corporation
