Families begin boarding a U.S. Air Force Globemaster III transport plane during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, on August 23, 2021.
Sergeant. Samuel Ruiz | US Marine Corps via Reuters
Airbnb plans to start hosting 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide for free, the company’s CEO Brian Chesky said on Tuesday.
The refugees will be housed in properties listed on the Airbnb platform and the stays will be funded by Airbnb, Chesky said on Twitter, without specifying exactly how much the company plans to invest in the commitment or for how long it will house the refugees.
The United States said Monday that it has evacuated about 48,000 people from Afghanistan in recent days, while thousands more are still trying to escape, for fear of reprisals from Taliban militants now in power.
The main starting point is Kabul Airport, where huge crowds have gathered with the stifling heat. The Taliban have set a deadline for air travel on August 31 and there are concerns that many who want to leave the country cannot.
“The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the United States and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time,” Chesky said. “We feel the responsibility to go up.”
He added: “I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There is no time to waste.”
Chesky urged Airbnb hosts to “contact” them if they want to take in a refugee family and pledged to connect them with the right people in the company.
Companies of all shapes and sizes are quick to show their support to victims in times of major crisis; it is an opportunity to be beneficial and boost public relations in the process.
Airbnb, valued at about $ 92 billion, often offers to cover the cost of housing in the event of an emergency. He says 75,000 people have found a place to stay in a time of crisis since 2012.