Airbnb has pledged to provide free, short-term accommodation for 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine.
CEO of the online platform, Brian Chesky, announced the move in a series of tweets this morning.
‘Airbnb and Airbnb.org are working with our Hosts to house up to 100,000 refugees fleeing from Ukraine, for free,’ he said.
The CEO is now appealing to hosts in neighboring countries including Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Romania to join the initiative.
For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live
He continues: ‘We need help to meet this goal. The greatest need we have is for more people who can offer their homes in nearby countries, including Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania. If you can host a refugee, go here: airbnb.org/get-involved.’
Brian stresses that all stays are free for refugees, funded by Airbnb, Airbnb.org donors and through the generosity of hosts.
However, it’s not clear what proportion will be directly funded by Airbnb – also there’s currently no clarification on the length of a ‘short-term’ stay.
According to the United Nations, more than 500,000 refugees have fled Ukraine since Vladimir Putin launched the attack last week.
Reports suggest 100,000 people have crossed into Poland, say Polish officials, and an additional 66,000 refugees have entered Hungary – with more than 23,000 entering on Saturday alone, according to Hungarian officials.
A press release from Airbnb says it’s arranged accommodation for 54,000 refugees and asylum-seekers over the past five years and has recently worked to offer temporary housing for more than 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE : How to talk to children about what’s happening in Ukraine and World War Three anxiety
MORE : How to cope with World War Three anxiety – if the news is scaring you right now
