Mr. Ashwini Kakkar Becomes International President of Action Against Hunger Network

Mr. Ashwini Kakkar, who is the President of Action Against Hunger India, was elected International President of Action Against Hunger network on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. The global network of Action Against Hunger includes 7 headquarters (France, Spain, United States, India, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada) and one office in Italy. Together these country HQs work in 50 countries worldwide. Ashwini succeeds Raymond Debbane who was the international president.

Indian businessman and philanthropist Ashwini Kakkar has been involved in the fight against hunger for many years. He has been the President of Action Against Hunger in India since its beginning in 2012. Ashwini served as an executive Director on the global board of Thomas Cook, was Co-founder and Chairman of Via.com, and turned around the fortunes of Mercury Travels Ltd. before accomplishing its sale to Nasdaq listed EBix Corp in 2018. Ashwini was awarded one of the highest civilian awards Chevalier de l'Ordre de Merite by the French President Jacques Chirac in 2006, which is equivalent to India’s Padma Vibhushan.

Mr. Ashwini Kakkar becomes International President of Action Against Hunger Network

Ashwini’s election comes at a time when the number of people suffering from hunger and malnutrition has been increasing for the last few years. Today, more than 811 million people are suffering from hunger worldwide. In India, the situation is even more intense and prevalence of child malnutrition remains one of the biggest concerns for the country. "The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed more people towards food insecurity and it is more important than ever that we come together to fight this scourge and live in a better world," says Ashwini Kakkar, President of Action Against Hunger international.

Action Against Hunger international network shares a global vision of a world free from hunger, through close collaboration, sharing of human resources, logistics, and technical capacities. As a non-governmental, non-profit, and non-confessional organization, this international network is committed to carrying out its programs according to the humanitarian principles and International Charter of Independence, Neutrality, Non-discrimination, Free and Direct Access to Victims, Professionalism, and Transparency.

“Humanitarian aid should be opened to actors and skills from emerging countries. India embodies this potential crossbreeding of contributions. Within the Action Against Hunger network, the election of Ashwini Kakkar is the perfect illustration of this dynamic,” says Dr. Pierre Micheletti, President of Action Contre la Faim (ACF) France.

Snigdha Sahal, Action Against Hunger India’s Executive Director, adds, “We are thrilled to have Mr. Ashwini Kakkar as our next international Chairman. His presence as the International Chairman gives us an opportunity to put India’s hunger and malnutrition concerns on the global front. His ability to bring people from different walks of life together and mobilise them is unique and exceptional, making him invaluable for the Action Against Hunger’s global network and partners.”

Founded in 1979 in France, Action Against Hunger operates in 50 countries around the world and helps more than 25 million people each year by eliminating hunger through prevention, detection, and treatment of undernutrition. In India, the organization works in more than 1266 villages including two large slum areas of Mumbai, covering a population of over 2.7 million.