Airbnb to allow anyone with available space to host Afghan refugees

The company has revealed plans to provide temporary housing to 20,000 refugees

Airbnb is allowing anyone with available space to host Afghan refugees free of charge or at discounted rates. AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana

Airbnb is allowing anyone with available space to host Afghan refugees free of charge or at discounted rates as it aims to help people fleeing Afghanistan.

Earlier this week, the company said it plans to provide free, temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide after the Taliban seized power in the country earlier this month.

“Airbnb is making it possible for anyone, not only current Airbnb hosts to sign up to house Afghan refugees on Airbnb.org,” it said on Thursday. “Airbnb waives all its fees on all refugee stays.”

Airbnb.org is a non-profit arm of the company that helps people to find temporary accommodation in times of crisis around the world. Over the past four years, the organisation has helped more than 25,000 refugees find temporary housing.

Tens of thousands of Afghans and foreign nationals have fled the country after the Taliban seized power two decades after they were toppled by the US and Nato.

The takeover by the militants raises the risk of economic collapse as the country continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic, drought and a weakening currency.

The UAE is also hosting Afghan families, especially women and children, and is committed to taking all necessary measures to provide them with care and social support while on UAE soil.

The initiative by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, is designed to extend safety and dignity to these families, the state news agency Wam reported.

The programme takes place against the backdrop of the UAE's provision of support and facilitation of flights for a number of nations and non-government organisations to safely evacuate their officials and support staff, including Afghan nationals, through the UAE airports.

The UAE has facilitated the evacuation of about 39,827 Afghans and foreign nationals from Afghanistan using its national aircraft and airports.

Airbnb is one of the biggest travel companies in the world that operates an online marketplace for travel information and booking services.

The San Francisco-based company reported second-quarter revenue of $1.34bn, a 10 per cent gain from the same period in 2019, according to Bloomberg.