Australian expat in Bali says lack of tourists is devastating island, with women without milk for babies and elderly unable to eat

Women forced to give their babies sugar and water because they can't afford formula, elderly people who have not eaten for days and people reduced to tears by a bag of rice.

That's the reality for people in Bali who have lost their jobs due to a lack of tourists, an Australian expat says.

Amanda Rialdi, 37, from Toowoomba, lives on the holiday island with her Indonesian husband.

With her friend Ellie Griffin, who is in Perth, the pair has set up a scheme to help the local people who she says are desperate.

None of the 1.3 million Aussies who travel to the Indonesian island every year have been able to visit since the end of March, and most Balinese who work in the tourism industry have lost their jobs and get little help, she says.

What initially started as a plan to offer hot meals for locals every Sunday has become a mammoth five-month operation to get food and supplies to them.

It's funded by generous Australians who are donating money to help via the Facebook page she's set up.

Ms Rialdi admits some of the situations she's seen have reduced her to tears.

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"We have a lot of women who can't afford formula and they're not getting enough nutrition to breastfeed so they give sugar water, or the rice milk, just the leftover water from the rice," she said.

"The thing that makes me upset is the elderly as well.

"They always support their whole family. If one loses the job that's supporting their whole family, it's the chain effect.

"We had an elderly woman who hadn't eaten for two weeks. I honestly thought she would pass away. "The landlord said, 'her family can't support her so hadn't come to see her'.

"They are always so grateful of whatever they get.

"We've had so many people who just cry over getting rice. It really makes you step back and think you're lucky."

Ms Rialdi, who sends donors pictures of families they've helped, estimates she's handed over around 50,000 meals with the help of dozens of volunteers she has on board.

She has also given away hundreds of food packages, and helped with basic needs such as people who don't even have a bed.

A bag of rice, oil eggs and vegetables costs A$12.50 and will feed a family of four for a week, if not longer.

"We have some who say it last three weeks," she said.

Bali has just opened to some domestic visitors.

But with international travel for Australians – the largest supplier of overseas visitors to Bali - unlikely to be allowed until at least next year, Ms Rialdi fears what will happen to locals.

But she has pledged to carry on as long as people keep wanting to help.

"The thing with people here who are working, they survive day to day," she said.

"It's completely empty, it's a ghost town.

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"A lot of people are closing shops permanently as they can't afford to pay, they're selling everything they can for as cheap as they can."

Ms Rialdi also tries to feed some of Bali's many street dogs, with animal charities including Villa Kitty and BAWA also suffering from a lack of visitors.