20,000 Afghan refugees to receive free accommodation from Airbnb

 Online homestay platform Airbnb has said it will be providing temporary accommodation to 20,000 Afghan refugees for free in order to help them resettle in other countries after Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Airbnb head said the decision was in response to “one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time”.

Chief executive Brian Chesky added, “I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There’s no time to waste.” He further said, “As tens of thousands of Afghan refugees resettle around the world, where they stay will be the first chapter in their new lives. 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.”

The offer to Afghan refugees starts immediately as the company is in talks with NGOs (non-government organisations) on ground to help in one of the most pressing issues of recent times. However, no details have been shared on duration of stay that company plans of offering the accommodation for and also how much it will be spending on this operation. But the company would be collaborating with partners and resettlement agencies “to go where the need goes” and evolve as deemed necessary.

Chesky tweeted on Tuesday, “Starting today, Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free. While we will be paying for these stays, we could not do this without the generosity of our hosts.”

Costs of the stay for refugees would be funded through contributions made by Mr. Chesky and Airbnb, as well as donations made to Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.

The company said, “We know that Airbnb hosts and guests around the world will be eager to stand up and assist this massive effort – and in the coming days, Airbnb and Airbnb.org plan to share details on how hosts and the broader community can support this initiative.”

Project “People In Crisis”

The project “People In Crisis” was first started by the company in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, wherein over 1000 people needed emergency accommodation. Under the project property owners hosts with Airbnb are encouraged to donate their homes for these people in crisis situation. Since 2012, Airbnb claims to have helped offer temporary accommodation to more than 75,000 people.