“No time to waste” – The head of Airbnb prepares to rehouse 20,000 Afghan refugees for free.
Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, announced the company is preparing to rehouse 20,000 Afghan refugees in countries across the world for free.
As Unilad reports, the head of the peer-to-peer accommodation service called for volunteer hosts to get in touch in case they are willing to host an Afghan family. Chesky also urged other businesses to join in and support the people affected by the debacle in Afghanistan.
Starting today, Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free.
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) August 24, 2021
In a Twitter thread, he asserted:
“The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up. I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There’s no time to waste.”
Airbnb stated the stays would be funded by the company and donations to its Refugee Fund.
Moreover, they would collaborate with NGOs and resettlement agencies “on the ground” to “go where the need goes.”
To make this happen, we are working closely with https://t.co/enqjlQB0rH, NGOs, and partners orgs on the ground to support the most pressing needs.
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) August 24, 2021
In an official statement, the company announced:
“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.”
As per BBC, the lodging service has already provided 165 refugees with safe housing following the catastrophic turn of events in Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power.
Airbnb first started its “opening homes n times of crisis” initiative in 2012, in response to Hurricane Sandy that killed more than 200 people across the United States, the Caribbean, and Canada. The company claims to have helped 75,000 people through the program.
Today we launch https://t.co/Tjnl0xc7eO. An independent nonprofit inspired by the actions of a single host and the generosity of thousands of others who have opened their doors to people when they need it most. Join us at https://t.co/Tjnl0xc7eO. pic.twitter.com/DbKmngDuTY
— Joe Gebbia (@jgebbia) December 7, 2020
Five years later, they launched their “Open Homes” project, inviting hosts to offer their homes to people in need for free.
Meanwhile, the UN has alerted of an unprecedented crisis as about 270,000 Afghans are internally displaced in the country in this year alone. The UK, the United States, and other countries are currently working on evacuating vulnerable Afghans from Kabul’s airport.
