Families begin an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, Jan.
Sgt. Samuel Ruiz | US Marine Corps | via Reuters
Airbnb plans to house 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide for free, the company’s CEO Brian Chesky said Tuesday.
The refugees will be housed in accommodations 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 spend on the engagement or how long refugees will be housed.
The US announced Monday that it has evacuated around 48,000 people from Afghanistan in the past few days, while thousands are still trying to flee, fearing reprisals from the Taliban fighters now in power.
The main exit point is Kabul Airport, where huge crowds have gathered in the sweltering heat. The Taliban have set August 31 as the airlift deadline and there are concerns that many who want to leave the country will not be able to leave the country.
“The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US and elsewhere is one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our time,” said Chesky. “We feel a responsibility to become stronger.”
He added, “I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There is no time to waste.”
Chesky urged Airbnb hosts to reach out to him if they would like to host a refugee family and promised to connect them with the right people at the company.
Companies of all shapes and sizes are rushing to show their support to victims in times of great crisis; it is an opportunity to be non-profit while strengthening public relations.
Texas Medical Technology, a medical equipment supplier and distributor, told CNBC Tuesday that it plans to recruit 100 Afghan refugees at a 150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Houston within a year.
Airbnb, valued at around $ 92 billion, often offers to cover emergency housing costs. Since 2012, 75,000 people have found a place to stay in times of crisis.
