Airbnb said that they are giving temporary free housing to approximately 20 000 Afghanistan refugees in an initiative dubbed “opening homes in times of crisis”.
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As per Airbnb.org (the charitable sector of the staycation giant), the company intends to act on this initiative in light of refugees fleeing the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
The costs are set to be covered with money from Airbnb and the CEO Brian Chesky alongside support from the Airbnb.org Refugee fund.
Starting today, Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free.
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) August 24, 2021
“For these 20,000 refugees, my hope is that the Airbnb community will provide them with not only a safe place to rest and start over but also a warm welcome home,” he said.
It has not been noted how long the temporary stay will extend toward, however as per the BBC, Airbnb expressed that it would collaborate with resettlement agencies and partners to “go where the need goes”.
“Over half a million people have already been displaced by the violence in Afghanistan so far this year. Some 80 percent of nearly a quarter of a million Afghans forced to flee since the end of May are women and children. This latest situation is only adding more suffering to an already tragic situation,” the UNHCR notes.