Airbnb said monday it will provide free temporary accommodation to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine.
The company will fund these stays with help from Airbnb hosts and donations to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.
More than 500,000 Ukrainians have fled since the start of the war, according to the Associated Press. Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations said Monday that Kyiv still hopes for a diplomatic resolution with Russia even as Moscow sends more troops and weapons to its border.
“We need help to achieve this goal,” Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky tweeted. “The greatest need we have is for more people to be able to offer their housing in neighboring countries including Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania,” Chesky tweeted.
The initiative is part of Airbnb’s efforts to support refugees through the company’s nonprofit, Airbnb.org.
In September, the company said it planned to provide free short-term housing to 40,000 Afghan refugees, double the original target of 20,000 announced in August. As of last week, Airbnb said it provided housing for 21,300 Afghan refugees.
Airbnb and Airbnb.org have provided 54,000 refugees and those granted asylum from numerous countries — including Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan — with temporary housing over the past five years, the company said. Its refugee fund started last year.
Airbnb did not say how much the company plans to spend on the final pledge or how long the refugees will be housed. More information on how hosts can support this initiative, such as offering free or discounted stays, will be provided in the coming days, the company said.
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