Airbnb is working with hosts to offer temporary housing to up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.
The company will pay for this with contributions from Airbnb hosts through Airbnb.org and donations to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.
Airbnb said it will work with governments to provide accommodation where it’s needed, while hosts in Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania have been asked to host a refugee.
An Airbnb statement read: “We know that hosts on Airbnb and guests around the world will be eager to stand up and assist this massive effort – and in the coming days, Airbnb plans to share details on how hosts on Airbnb and the broader community can support this initiative.”
Leaders of the San Francisco-based company, including chief executive Brian Chesky, have written to the governments of Poland, Romania, Germany and Hungary to offer support for housing refugees.
Airbnb has already received a surge of donations from companies and individuals in the past 24 hours.
There’s been a huge exodus from Ukraine, mostly comprising of women, children and the elderly.
The United Nations said at least 368,000 have fled from Ukraine due to the war, with many travelling to neighbouring Poland, as well as Romania, Slovakia and Moldova, all of which border Ukraine.
There have been sizable waits at borders, including 70 hours in the freezing cold to cross into Poland, as some refugees have been forced to sleep overnight in their cars.
