While over 200,000 Australians in the northeast state of Queensland have been affected by heavy flooding, so far the Maltese community there is safe, according to a government spokesman.

Military aircraft dropped supplies to 22 towns cut off by floods in the region yesterday, an area larger than France and Germany combined. Residents were stocking up on food or evacuating their homes.

Even though there is a strong Maltese community in Queensland, they have not been affected, a government spokesman said. Half of Queensland’s 715,305 square miles has been hit by the relentless flooding, which began last week after days of pounding rain caused swollen rivers to overflow.

While the rain has stopped, the rivers are surging to new heights and overflowing into low-lying towns as the water makes its way towards the sea.

The muddy water inundating thousands of homes and businesses has led to a shortage of drinking water and raised fears of mosquito-borne disease.