Airbnb Will Provide Free Temporary Stays for 100,000 Ukrainian Refugees

Airbnb’s nonprofit arm will supply free, short-term housing for as much as 100,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing conflict. The efforts may assist convey much-needed short-term reduction for the greater than 500,000 Ukrainians who’ve reportedly fled into neighboring nations because the invasion’s onset, although longer-term options stay shrouded in uncertainty.

An Airbnb spokesperson stated the efforts will initially cowl the prices of stays as much as 14 days.

“Airbnb.org will stay in contact with NGOs, resettlement agencies and government leaders to understand how we can best support them during this crisis,” the spokesperson stated. “Our Airbnb Host community is able to provide both short-term and long-term stays, and Airbnb.org will work with NGOs, resettlement agencies and partners to determine and serve the specific need.”

In a blog put up asserting its efforts, Airbnb stated funding for the short-term stays will come from the corporate and donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund in addition to “the generosity of [Airbnb] Hosts.” Airbnb added that it’ll work with native nonprofits to coordinate bookings for refugees.

“We need help to meet this goal,” Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said on Twitter. “The greatest need we have is for more people who can offer their homes in nearby countries, including Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania.”

This isn’t Airbnb’s first try at providing short-term stays for refugees. Last yr, the corporate stated it could present short-term housing for 20,000 Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan following the U.S. army’s withdrawal. At the time, Chesky referred to the displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees as, “one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time.” Airbnb has since said it met that objective and intends to deal with an extra 20,000 refugees underneath this system.

The San Francisco-based firm has proven extra of a willingness to wade into political and ethical points—each home and worldwide—than a few of its different Silicon Valley counterparts. Back in 2017, for instance, Airbnb eliminated customers in Charlottesville, Virginia who had been making an attempt to e book stays as a part of the Unite the Right rally. More not too long ago, the corporate stated it could ban customers discovered to have engaged in prison exercise fueling the January 6 Capitol Hill riots. Airbnb additionally claimed it banned greater than 1.4 million customers from its platform who refused to signal its nondiscrimination coverage.

Meanwhile, the mass exodus of refugees pouring out of Ukraine exhibits no indicators of letting down. An estimated half one million folks have already fled their houses to close by Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. At the identical time, Ukrainian officers have reportedly barred males between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the nation, ordering them to remain and battle underneath martial regulation.