BEIRUT, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Najat Rochdi, the UN resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, announced on Thursday that the UN has started disbursing 8.5 million U.S. dollars of humanitarian fund to help Lebanese families affected by the blasts in the capital Beirut.

Rochdi said that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has released the fund from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF) to provide rapid support to families affected by the explosions that rocked Beirut's port on Aug. 4.

"The catastrophic explosions have affected the lives of nearly every person in Lebanon. In an instant, it shattered entire neighborhoods, destroyed hospitals and schools, and tore apart families who lost their loved ones," Rochdi said.

More than 180,000 people are being reached to receive 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.