Airbnb announces plans to house 20,000 Afghan refugees globally
Airbnb plans to house 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free, Chief Executive Office Brian Chesky announced in a tweet on Tuesday.
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“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,” Chesky said in a Twitter thread.
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.
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) August 24, 2021
The company will be paying for the stays, but the CEO said “the generosity of our hosts” has helped in making it happen.
Chesky also called on other businesses to help with the crisis as “there’s no time to waste.”
The vacation rentals company is working with community partners as well as NGOs and other organizations to “support the most pressing needs,” the company’s co-founder added.
I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There’s no time to waste.
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) August 24, 2021
Thousands of people have been struggling to flee Afghanistan as the Taliban took over most regions of the country. In addition to foreigners and western army members, families of Afghans who worked alongside Americans and other foreign powers as interpreters and helped with other tasks have escaped the country, becoming refugees. Others are still struggling to leave as the August 31 evacuation deadline approaches.
Read more:
Ukraine FM denies report of evacuation plane hijacking
Reasons why the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan is problematic to the world
Extension to Kabul airport evacuation date unlikely: UK defense minister
