United Nations, Aug 21 (IANS): The UN has started disbursing $8.5 million of humanitarian funds to help Lebanese families affected by August 4 Port of Beirut blasts.

In a statement on Thursday, Najat Rochdi, the UN resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, said that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has released the fund from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF), reports Xinhua news agency.

"The catastrophic explosions have affected the lives of nearly every person in Lebanon.

"In an instant, it shattered entire neighbourhoods, destroyed hospitals and schools, and tore apart families who lost their loved ones," Rochdi said.

More than 180,000 people were receiving life-saving humanitarian assistance from some NGOs delivering health, food assistance and protection projects.

Rochdi explained that the funds from the LHF go directly to the NGOs working on the ground to deliver aid to the families and communities which desperately need support.

The LHF supports five international and three local NGOs already working in Lebanon to deliver eight projects of aiding the affected families.

The two huge explosions killed 177 people while wounding around 6,000 others.

Primary information reveals that ammonium nitrate stored since 2014 at the port's warehouse No. 12 may have caused the explosions.