Twenty thousand Afghan refugees will be hosted free of charge by the online short-term real estate leasing platform Airbnb to help them relocate around the world, according to Reuters and the BBC.
The head of the company stated that this decision is the answer to “one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our time” and that the company felt obliged to intervene.
CEO Brian Cesky added: “I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There is no time to lose. As thousands Afghans refugees are resettled around the world, where they will stay will be the first chapter in their new life. “To these 20,000 refugees, my hope is that the Airbnb community will provide not only a safe place to rest and start over, but also a warm welcome home.”
The offer starts immediately and as he clarified the company cooperates with NGOs “on the field” to help the most urgent needs (of refugees).
According to the company, the cost of the refugees’ accommodation will be financed through the participation of Airbnb and Cesky as well as donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.
Airbnb property owners have long been encouraged to offer accommodation for “people in crisis”, as relayed by the Athenian News Agency.
The project was launched in response to Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when more than 1,000 people were in need of emergency housing.
Since then the company is said to have helped more than 75,000 people.
The company launched the Open Homes initiative in 2017 to allow its host community to offer its homes free of charge to people affected by disasters or war.
The initiative has since offered free accommodation to people affected by the earthquake in Mexico City, the fires in California, the fires in Australia and other disasters.
It also resulted in the company setting up its own non-profit organization to focus on helping people in times of crisis.
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