The National Disability Allowance: Children with disabilities in Lebanon reclaim dignity and opportunity

In Lebanon, children with disabilities and their families face daily challenges. For many, the financial pressures and the lack of accessible services once meant exclusion and isolation. Today, through the National Disability Allowance (NDA), they are finding pathways to inclusion, dignity and hope.

Ghazal and Nancy: Learning and thriving with hearing support

Ghazal (14) and her sister Nancy (11) (Bakhoun-Zgharta) were both born with hearing disabilities. Over the years, they underwent several operations. Yet, as their mother explains: “we still face challenges till today.”

Ghazal is outgoing and loves engaging with people. With a smile, she says: “I want them to know that I can hear, and I don’t like a single day to pass without using my hearing aid.”

At one point, however, the family had to go for two months without functioning hearing aids because they could not afford the batteries. “When I learned about the National Disability Allowance, I applied,” their mother recalls. “Now we use it to cover the essential cost of hearing aid batteries. Without this support, my daughters would be cut off from school and daily communication.”

She adds: “With the allowance, they can continue using their hearing aids, hear like the other children at school and never miss out.”

For Ghazal, the allowance means more than access, it means possibility. “If we had not received this support, I wouldn’t have been able to go to school,” she says. Today, she aspires to further studies, living a full and productive life, and one day buying new hearing aids for herself and her sister.

Sidra: Preserving sight, discovering talent

Sidra (14, Taalabaya-Bekaa) was born with congenital glaucoma, and the retina is almost completely damaged in her right eye, her father explains. Until the age of three, she had to undergo surgery every six months. As the family’s financial situation worsened, they could no longer afford the daily eye drops that were essential for treating her condition.

That changed when they applied for the National Disability Allowance (NDA). Every month, Sidra’s family now receives an SMS text message notifying them that the monthly payment is available. “We couldn’t afford the eye drops before, but thanks to this support, I am now able to buy them, and I’ve been able to preserve my eyesight,” Sidra says.

With her health stabilized, Sidra has embraced her passions. She is proud of learning music at a community center, and already plays both the flute and the piano. “When I play music, I feel a kind of peace inside me,” she shares. At the center, she also studies English, Arabic and science, and loves the sessions on how to bake bread.

Sidra’s hopes are clear and confident: she wants to continue learning, nurture her talents, and achieve even greater success in the future.

Daniel:  Determination and resilience despite challenges

Daniel (14, Zahle, Bekaa), lives with muscular atrophy that affects all the muscles in his body. Despite the challenges, he says: “I refuse to let this disability hold me back.”

Through the National Disability Allowance (NDA), Daniel receives regular monthly support that helps cover the cost of physiotherapy and vitamins, ensuring he can continue with treatment and daily exercises that are essential for slowing the progression of his condition. His mother, Suzan, explains: “The support sustains us every month and helps cover his needs.”

Daniel also shares a message of hope for others living with disabilities: “We must keep working on ourselves with determination, and hopefully we will overcome everything.” He dreams of greater inclusion in society and the chance to live a full and productive life, and is determined to prove that muscular atrophy does not define his future.

Zahr: Curious, organized and living with a hearing disability

Zahr (14, Majdlaya–Zgharta) was born with a hearing disability. From a young age, he has attended speech therapy sessions and continues to do so twice a week. Out of school for now, Zahr communicates in short interactions, shows [LM1]  curiosity and attention to detail. His father describes him as “eager to know everything.”

Through the National Disability Allowance, Zahr receives USD 40 every month, the first regular support his family has ever received. “He is 14 years old now and no one had ever helped him before. Through this support, I feel reassured that in the future, someone out there cares and is willing to stand by him,” his father says.

Now, the family’s goal is to find an inclusive school where Zahr’s eagerness to learn can be nurtured and supported.

What the NDA means for children with disabilities

For children with disabilities and their families across Lebanon, the National Disability Allowance is more than financial aid; it is recognition of the right to participate fully in life. They describe how the allowance enables them to maintain vital treatments such as speech therapy and physiotherapy, afford mobility aids and transport to medical facilities, and cover the costs of visual care and assistive learning tools. 

Beyond meeting practical needs, they say, the support has promoted greater participation and inclusion for people with disabilities, boosting their confidence and sense of belonging in school, at home and in their communities.

From financial support to systemic change

 With financing from the Government of Lebanon, the European Union, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and other donors, the National Disability Allowance is implemented by the Ministry of Social Affairs in partnership with UNICEF and ILO.

Since its launch in April 2023, the National Disability Allowance has reached more than 33,500 persons with disabilities across Lebanon, enabling them to cover essential needs and secure their right to inclusion and dignity. The NDA represents a broader shift toward inclusive social protection, reducing stigma, strengthening the social contract, and ensuring no one is left behind.

This initiative, implemented by MoSA in partnership with UNICEF and ILO, would not have been possible without the generous support of its donors, including the European Union and the Kingdom of the Netherlands—two of Lebanon’s top donors. Since 2016, the Netherlands has provided more than USD 448 million to strengthen livelihoods, civic engagement, and life-saving assistance, while the EU has contributed over USD 2.5 billion to ensure access to essential services that helped improve livelihoods, enhanced protection, support elections, and champion joint UN programmes on cash assistance, social protection, and conflict-impact mitigation. Further details on international assistance to Lebanon are available in the Lebanon Aid Tracking reports: https://lebanon.un.org/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025%20Q3%20Lebanon%20Aid%20Tracking%20report%20%28as%20of%2030%20September%202025%29_0.pdf 

Goals Supported: dignity and equality; access to education, health, and participation; stronger national social protection.