The water is being distributed in and around Umm Qasr by water tankers. 'The water will be delivered to communities that require it on a needs-based assessment by the tankers,' Turner said.

Turner said that 105 mines had been discovered in Umm Qasr port and its approaches. The first humanitarian deliveries by ship arrived in Umm Qasr aboard the UK vessel Sir Galahad on 31 March. Larger vessels, including a ship carrying 50,000 tonnes of Australian wheat, will not be able to enter Umm Qasr until emergency dredging work is completed, US Agency for International Development administrator Andrew Natsios said on 2 April. Dredging is one of eight contracts put out to tender under an emergency USAID contract in January.