Airbnb in pledge to house 20,000 Afghan refugees

ONLINE accommodation platform Airbnb offered yesterday to house 20,000 Afghan refugees for free around the world, as people flee Kabul following the Taliban takeover.

The effort will be funded by Airbnb, its chief executive, Brian Chesky, and donations to its charity Airbnb.org, the company said in a blog.

“We are providing this housing through resettlement agencies and partners, who are in direct co-ordination with refugees and are advising on their needs,” a spokesman said. “While we are only providing temporary housing, we are committed to housing these families for as long as they need.”

Last weekend Airbnb worked with partners to place 165 refugees in housing shortly after they landed in the US, the company said.