The situation in Afghanistan is, to put it in a single word, messy. Countless refugees are fleeing the country to resettle elsewhere. To accommodate them, at least temporarily, Airbnb will be providing housing for 20000 Afghan refugees globally for free.
The announcement came via a tweet by Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. According to follow-up tweets, Chesky said that the company is working with its own nonprofit Airbnb.org and other NGOs to provide support for more pressing needs. He also says that the accommodations themselves were made available by hosts who volunteered. The company is also covering the costs of doing so.
Starting today, Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free.
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) August 24, 2021
It’s no doubt a very generous move by Airbnb. Though the company did not specify an actual limit to the duration of the temporary housing. The same goes for the amount that the company is pouring into the initiative.
That being said, it’s not the first time that Airbnb has offered free temporary accommodation for people in times of crisis. Just last year, the company offered to lodge about 100000 front-line workers who were dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak. The provided accommodation was used to not only allow front-liners to shorten their travel distance to work, but also to provide space to self-quarantine away from family.
(Source: Brian Chesky / Twitterr)
