An international child protection organisation has criticised a decision by Libya’s General Authority for the Social Solidarity Fund, saying it violates the rights of children with disabilities by denying them access to the basic pension until they reach the age of four.
In a statement titled “A Cry for Help: Children with Disabilities in Libya and Decisions of Deprivation”, the International Organisation for the Protection of Children and People with Disabilities (IOPCD) described the administrative measure as a serious breach of existing Libyan laws that guarantee care and financial support for children with disabilities from birth.
The organisation said the decision, issued by the head of the fund’s management committee, Mustafa Fathi Al-Jubaibi, deprives children of a legal entitlement designed to cover essential medical and daily needs. It warned that delaying the payment of the basic pension until the age of four places additional pressure on families and deepens the marginalisation of vulnerable groups across Libya.
The group also questioned how allocated funds are being spent while eligible children are denied support. It claimed that resources are being diverted to administrative costs and activities unrelated to social priorities, including what it described as unjustified operational expenses.
According to the statement, the measure represents a negative precedent in Libya’s history of social solidarity, arguing that children’s rights have not previously been restricted in this manner. The organisation further criticised the silence of other bodies working on disability rights, saying this lack of response contributes to the continuation of such violations.
The organisation stressed that the rights of persons with disabilities are not optional benefits but legal and moral obligations that fall on the state and its institutions. It called for the immediate reversal of the decision and for the unconditional payment of the basic pension to eligible children.
The controversy follows a circular issued by the Social Solidarity Fund on 2 December 2025, requesting data on children under four with disabilities applying for the basic pension, citing Cabinet Decision No. 25 of 2025.
