The first city in Iraq "liberated" by coalition troops, Umm Qasr is also the nation's lone deep-water port, the key to getting badly needed humanitarian aid flowing in to the country.

"We wonder why schools and shops are closed and the problem is that for the citizens, Umm Qasr is not safe enough," said Major Paul Stanley, head of the British army's civil defence team here.

"The population wants to be sure that the regime is finished. We try to make them feel confident," Stanley said.

Operating out of the only hotel in this city of 40,000, Stanley is leading around 100 British troops trying to organise the aid while dealing with prisoners, reuniting families separated by the war, and slowly restoring infrastructure.

"We are trying to involve the local leaderships" as much as possible, he said. "Building a civilian administration is our long term intention."

There have been some achievements in the first week, including turning the electricity back on Monday night, and gradually getting port workers back to their jobs.

"The port of Umm Qasr will officially open on the 22 or 23 of April and will be managed by a US company," Stanley said. He said the workers' previous daily wage of between two and three dollars would be boosted.

But with 60 percent of the humanitarian aid for Iraq due to head through Umm Qasr, the need to get back to full speed soon is critical. So far only one shipment of aid has arrived through the port.

In addition to the port and the electricity, Stanley's team must also see that drinkable water is distributed to the city's residents. It used to come from the nearby southern city of Basra, currently surrounded by British troops.

He said around two million litres of water have been distributed so far, after arriving overland from Kuwait in tanker trucks.

"Running water used to get here in pipes from Basra and the drinking water was delivered to the city in trucks. People used to pay for that water. But the system is stuck because Basra isn't free yet," he said.

But he insisted that the presence of fighters still loyal to the regime of President Saddam Hussein is not the biggest obstacle.

"Some of them left, some of them stayed here, but honestly, political affairs are not my business," he said. "It's not my problem."

Far more important, Stanley said, is the battle for Basra, Iraq's second-largest city.

Memories in the largely Shiite Muslim city often hinge on the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf war, when the United States encouraged Shiites to rise up against Saddam but then failed to back up the rebellion with military force.

Many were later killed by Saddam's forces, and there are fears that the coalition will leave them stranded for a second time.

"For this region, Basra is crucial," Stanley said. "After this battle, people will understand that we are here to support them."

SPACE.WIRE