Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said on Tuesday he would provide free housing for up to 20.000 refugees fleeing Afghanistan to locations around the world. This decision came after numerous Airlines around the world have joined forces to help refugees flee Kabul.
The company will pay for the housing of Afghan refugees, who will be hosted by partner hosts in cities around the world. Non-governmental organizations and regional partners assisting refugees in resettlement will also be involved in the process. Chesky did not say, however, how long the refugees would be offered housing or whether the company would help with any long-term resettlement efforts.
The United States has already transported more than 70.000 people from Afghanistan, while other nations such as Canada, France and Germany and the United Kingdom have taken in refugees. Airbnb has not specified in which countries it will host refugees, but the company operates in all countries that accept Afghans.
This is not the first of its kind by Airbnb. The company has used homes in the past to help those in need. In March 2020, the company offered up to 100.000 free accommodations to nurses, doctors and ancillary workers battling the coronavirus pandemic.