Airbnb Offers Free Temporary Housing to 20,000 Afghan Refugees
The vacation rental company Airbnb announced that it would start offering free temporary housing to approximately 20,000 refugees to help them resettle across the world.
“The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time,” tweeted Airbnb’s co-founder and head of community Brian Chesky.
”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,” he added. “We feel a responsibility to step up.”
The offer starts immediately and the company is working with non-governmental organizations to help locally with the most pressing needs. Airbnb will also cover the costs of the initiative and will rely on donations to its 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.”
Chesky said it was the community’s hosts offering up their residences that made the idea truly possible. He also hopes the initiative will inspire “other business leaders to do the same.”
“There’s no time to waste,” he said.
Image source: Time
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