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Airbnb to offer temporary housing for Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban rule

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Global lodging rental company Airbnb has announced it will offer free temporary housing for 20,000 Afghan refugees around the world as they resettle in their new countries after fleeing the Taliban takeover.

“Starting today, Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free,” Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky Tweeted on Tuesday, officially announcing the move. According to Chesky, the vacation hosting company will work with its international hosts around the world to secure temporary housing for refugees who are being transported around the world following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Airbnb started housing victims of crisis situations in 2012 when it launched its Open Homes Initiative, offering temporary housing to those displaced in Hurricane Sandy. Since then, the company claims to have assisted over 75,000 people in various humanitarian crises around the world, including hurricanes, refugee crises, wildfires, and COVID-19.

Open Homes has also partnered with Hospitality Homes, Fisher House, and Make-A-Wish to provide free temporary housing to those traveling for medical treatment. “The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time,” Chesky Tweeted. “We feel a responsibility to step up.”

Airbnb released an official statement this week saying the company would cover the costs of the initiative, along with leaning on funds from its Refugee Fund. Donations to the Airbnb Refugee Fund and Open Homes Initiative can be made online via the Airbnb website.

ARTICLE: LAURA SPIVAK

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE
PHOTO CREDITS: WASHINGTON POST

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Laura Spivak

Laura is a freelance writer out of Maryland and a mom of three. Her background is in political science and international relations, and she has been doing political writing and editing for 17 years. Laura has also written parenting pieces for the Today Show and is currently working on writing a collection of remarkable true stories about normal people. She writes for FBA because unbiased news is vital to unity, and readers deserve the facts free of opinion.

Laura is a freelance writer out of Maryland and a mom of three. Her background is in political science and international relations, and she has been doing political writing and editing for 17 years. Laura has also written parenting pieces for the Today Show and is currently working on writing a collection of remarkable true stories about normal people. She writes for FBA because unbiased news is vital to unity, and readers deserve the facts free of opinion.

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