Chronic Disease Patients Protest in Front of Ministry of Social Affairs Demanding Payment of Overdue Allowances

elitihad – Nouakchott

A number of individuals suffering from chronic diseases staged a protest this morning in front of the Ministry of Social Affairs building in Nouakchott, demanding the payment of three months’ worth of overdue monthly allowances from last year. They emphasized the need to include them in social support programs during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.
The protesters explained that the allowance allocated to them is only disbursed for eight months out of the twelve, which they consider unfair, especially given the high costs of treatment and the daily expenses associated with managing chronic illnesses. They also criticized what they described as “continuous delays” in opening the reception of new applicants’ files or renewing the files of current beneficiaries, noting that the ministry has so far postponed receiving requests for this year without clear justification.
Spokespersons for the patients told a correspondent from Al-Fikr Al-Youm that the ministry had promised to release the overdue payments today, yet they are still waiting for this promise to be fulfilled, despite being officially registered on the list of social assistance beneficiaries.
The protesters affirmed that the repeated delays in disbursing allowances exacerbate their health and psychological hardships and place them in difficult living conditions, especially with Ramadan approaching and the rising cost of living.
They called on the relevant authorities to intervene urgently to ensure regular disbursement of allowances throughout the entire year and to expand support programs to include chronic disease patients within various social protection mechanisms, instead of merely offering repeated promises without actual implementation.