Airbnb To Host 20,000 Afghan Refugees For Free

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Airbnb on Tuesday said it plans to provide free, temporary housing for up to 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan. The announcement was made by company CEO Brian Chesky.

Since Aug. 14, the United States has evacuated about 58,700 people from Kabul after the Taliban seized the Afghan capital city, The Washington Post reported. More than 21,000 people were evacuated from the country during a 24-hour period ending early Tuesday morning.

In a string of tweets, Chesky called what's happening in Afghanistan one of the "biggest humanitarian crises of our time."

"We feel a responsibility to step up," Chesky tweeted. "I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There’s no time to waste."

Chesky said Airbnb plans to work with hosts to secure housing for refugees. Housing will be paid for through contributions to Airbnb.org, the company's nonprofit arm that provides temporary stays for people in moments of crisis. Funding will come from Airbnb and Chesky, as well as donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.

"While we will be paying for these stays, we could not do this without the generosity of our Hosts," Chesky wrote on Twitter.

Over the past four years, Airbnb.org and Airbnb have secured safe housing for approximately 25,000 refugees.