Lebanon fully funds disability allowance program

Wednesday 27 August 2025 - 15:55

By: Sahili Aya

Lebanon fully funds disability allowance program

Lebanon’s Ministry of Social Affairs announced Wednesday that the national Disability Allowance program (NDA) will now be fully funded by the state budget. Previously supported by the European Union and the Netherlands, the program has been implemented in partnership with UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Minister Hanine Sayed revealed that starting in September, the program will also include individuals born in 1960 and earlier, increasing the number of beneficiaries to over 30,000. She encouraged citizens to contact the ministry’s call center at 04/727470 for inquiries, emphasizing transparency.

Speaking at a press conference, Minister Sayed described support for people with disabilities as “a fundamental pillar of the national vision to build a comprehensive social protection network based on justice, equality, and the preservation of human dignity.”

The ministry, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the United Nations Population Fund, is developing a national strategy to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities, in line with Lebanon’s recent ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on June 5, 2025. Lebanon originally signed the convention on June 14, 2007.

Finally, Minister Sayed stressed the need to reactivate the National Authority for Persons with Disabilities through elections planned for January next year, after more than six years of inactivity. “This measure will grant people with disabilities the right to actively participate in shaping public policies,” she added.