What Acción contra el Hambre does

Acción contra el Hambre (Action Against Hunger) is a Madrid-headquartered international humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in 1979 with a mission to combat acute malnutrition, food insecurity, and water-related crises across fragile and conflict-affected regions. Its operating model centers on three pillars: direct emergency response (a 2024 baseline of 64 simultaneous emergencies), recovery programs (with a self-reported 90% recovery rate and 45-day average recovery time for treated cases of severe acute malnutrition), and preventative interventions in food systems and water/sanitation. In 2024 the network reached 28 million people through approximately 9,000 staff deployed across 59 countries, delivered 57 formal projects, and operated against a long-standing cost-efficiency benchmark of ~90% of resources to beneficiaries (verified through 92 third-party audits by Deloitte and Ernst & Young in 2019).

The organization runs a federated network of national member associations in Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, India, and Italy, each raising funds and recruiting volunteers under a unified mission charter. Its revenue mechanics span four main streams: individual donations (mass-market fundraising), corporate partnerships under the "Alianzas contra el Hambre" program (with named corporate partners including Ferrovial, Accenture, Microsoft, Santander, BBVA, and Atresmedia), institutional and public-sector grants (USAID/BHA, ECHO, the European Union, AECID), and legacy/bequest giving. The 2025-2027 strategic cooperation agreement with the Ibero-American Secretary General (OEI) extends its institutional footprint into Ibero-American policy coordination.

Its technology stack is increasingly proprietary rather than just operational: SAM PHOTO, a photo-based mobile malnutrition-screening application launched in 2024, the ADS early-warning/anticipation system developed under Project ADS, and the Opinion platform for beneficiary feedback. These tools suggest a deliberate shift toward digital diagnostics and data-driven early action, even though publicly disclosed AI/ML depth remains limited. Overall, Acción contra el Hambre operates a hybrid humanitarian delivery + digital-product infrastructure model with diversified, multi-channel revenue mechanics and a multi-decade brand asset serving as its principal source of structural advantage.

Name

Acción contra el Hambre

Legal name

ACCIÓN CONTRA EL HAMBRE

Website

https://accioncontraelhambre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Acción contra el Hambre is a Madrid-headquartered international humanitarian NGO founded in 1979 that combats acute malnutrition and food insecurity across 59 countries, serving 28 million people annually through ~9,000 staff and a federated network of 8 national member organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (62421), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Food Assistance & Nutrition Response (BPADADAE), Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Malnutrition treatment programs
• Emergency response services
• Food security programs
• Water sanitation hygiene

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters via online portal, phone, and in-person channels. Membership program with monthly contributions.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Strategic alliances with companies for project development, emergency support, employee engagement, and client-facing campaigns. Includes SMEs Against Hunger initiative.
3. Institutional Funding: Grants and funding from institutional donors and international organizations for specific humanitarian projects and programs.
4. Legacy Giving: Solidarity wills and bequests from supporters leaving legacy contributions to the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Acción contra el Hambre is an international humanitarian NGO that provides emergency response, malnutrition treatment, food security, water and sanitation, and health services to vulnerable populations in over 50 countries. The organization operates through direct field operations, supported by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and institutional grants, with a 24-48 hour emergency deployment capability and 90% of resources directed to beneficiaries.

Product overview

Acción contra el Hambre is a humanitarian NGO operating in over 50 countries. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers multiple digital programs and services including SAM PHOTO (malnutrition screening app), ADS early warning system, Project ADS (field management), and the Opinion feedback platform. Their digital ecosystem provides field programme management, monitoring, training, and incident management solutions designed for humanitarian operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAM PHOTO: Mobile application for screening severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children aged 6 months to 5 years through photo-based diagnosis.
• Project ADS
• Early Warning ADS
• Restaurantes contra el Hambre
• Carrera contra el Hambre

Products and services

• SAM PHOTO Mobile Application Mobile application for screening severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children aged 6 months to 5 years through photo-based diagnosis. Enables autonomous and reliable screening, rapid diagnostics, digitized information generation, and accelerated decision-making for humanitarian field workers.
• ADS Early Warning System (Sistema de Alerta Temprana) Global risk monitoring system enabling rapid situational analysis and emergency deployment preparedness through automatic monitoring and categorization of global crises and risks using secondary data sources.
• Project ADS Field Management Tool Field management tool for project implementation and supervision. Standardizes project management and intervention activities across the organization with data-driven decision making.
• Plataforma Opinion Feedback System Complaints and feedback management system used to centralize messages from standard, confidential, and anonymous complaint channels including phone, SMS, and email.
• Acción Social en España (Social Action in Spain) Provides employment itineraries, training, economic assistance, and food support to people at risk of social exclusion in Spain. Includes research on food insecurity in Spain.
• Alianzas contra el Hambre Corporate Partnership Program Strategic alliance program engaging companies for project development, emergency support, employee engagement, and client-facing campaigns. Includes the SMEs Against Hunger initiative.
• Carrera contra el Hambre (Race Against Hunger) Annual running event series to raise funds and awareness in support of hunger eradication programs.
• Solidarity Wills (Testamento Solidario) Legacy Giving Program Legacy giving program offering free confidential advisory services for supporters wishing to include the organization in their wills and bequests.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of malnourished children recover after completing treatment
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• OEI (Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOEI and Acción contra el Hambre signed an agreement to promote food security and child welfare in Ibero-America. Mariano Jabonero and Manuel Sánchez-Montero signed the convention to jointly advance these objectives across Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries.
• FerrovialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership focused on water and sanitation projects, particularly in Colombia. Enables amplified impact, sustainable project development, and efficient team management through trusted relationships. Ferrovial's CSR team works directly with Action Against Hunger's technical teams.
• EdenredmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough the 'Comparte Edenred' campaign, Edenred Restaurant Voucher card users can donate part of their balance to Action Against Hunger's emergency fund, reaching hundreds of families in need.
• El Pozo AlimentaciónmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership aligned with Zero Hunger goals (SDG 2) to reduce global malnutrition, save lives, and guarantee food access. Combines Action Against Hunger's expertise with El Pozo's market reach.
• MakromajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerValued partnership recognizing Action Against Hunger's long-standing experience and holistic approach to tackling hunger. Makro, as part of the hotel and catering sector, strongly supports various projects. Eduardo Pérez, Director of Institutional Relations, endorses the collaboration.
• AccenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner in the Alianzas contra el Hambre program, contributing to development and social action projects.
• NutrisetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Plumpy'Nut therapeutic nutritional paste used in malnutrition treatment programs. Enables treatment delivery for severely malnourished children.
• MicrosoftsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCorporate partner providing technology solutions and support for digital transformation initiatives.
• Red EléctricasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner in sustainability and responsible business initiatives.
• Coca-ColasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting social responsibility initiatives.
• HeinekensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner in social responsibility and sustainability initiatives.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian NGO operating in conflict-affected and fragile states with food security, WASH, and emergency programs. Comparable in operational model and emergency-response focus.
• Plan International: International NGO advancing children's rights and equality including emergency response and nutrition work. Comparable in child-focused humanitarian programming and federated national-organization structure.
• Oxfam International: Global confederation of NGOs fighting poverty and hunger through emergency response, food security, and WASH programs across dozens of countries. Highly comparable in scope, mission, donor base, and federated governance structure.
• Save the Children International: Global NGO focused on children's rights including nutrition, health, and emergency response. Directly comparable in child malnutrition treatment focus and large-scale country presence.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Humanitarian organization responding to the world's worst crises with food, health, and WASH programming. Comparable in refugee/conflict-zone operations and donor-supported funding.
• CARE International: International humanitarian NGO delivering emergency relief and long-term development including food security and women's empowerment. Highly comparable in federated structure and donor mix.
• Concern Worldwide: International humanitarian NGO specializing in emergencies, health, and livelihoods in the world's poorest countries. Comparable in scale, mission, and individual-donor fundraising model.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders): International medical-humanitarian NGO operating emergency responses in conflict and crisis zones. Comparable in emergency deployment model, individual-donor funding mix, and field-operations culture.

Broad incumbents

• World Food Programme (WFP): UN agency and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing global hunger. Broader incumbent comparable in food assistance and nutrition mission but operating at far greater scale as a UN body.
• UNICEF: UN agency focused on child welfare including severe acute malnutrition treatment. Broader incumbent with overlapping nutrition programs but operating as a UN body with government funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Acontraelhambre
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrr1lOcwNe9gcCKSRnMNDeA
• Facebookfacebook.com/accioncontraelhambre.espana
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accion-contra-el-hambre
• Instagraminstagram.com/accioncontraelhambre.espana/?hl=es
• TikToktiktok.com/@accioncontraelhambre.es

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Acción contra el Hambre