Airbnb to open doors to Afghan refugees

Airbnb and its charitable arm, Airbnb.org, said Tuesday that the company intended to provide free temporary housing globally for 20,000 refugees fleeing the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.

As U.S. and European governments race to evacuate tens of thousands of people, the property rental company called the displacement and resettlement of refugees a “significant humanitarian crisis.”

The cost of the accommodations will be covered with money from Airbnb and its chief executive, Brian Chesky, as well as contributions from the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, which was begun in June with the goal of raising $25 million.

The organization is working with resettlement agencies and offered to support federal and state governments.

“The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up,” Chesky said on Twitter.

“I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There’s no time to waste,” he added.

Airbnb did not specify how long refugees could stay in the apartments or houses but said its hosts were offering short- and longterm stays.

The company said it had begun supporting Afghans fleeing the country last week when it gave funding to the International Rescue Committee and other organizations to provide temporary stays using the Airbnb platform for up to 1,000 refugees.

Over the weekend, Airbnb said it placed 165 refugees in housing across the United States, including in California, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington state.