PARIS – Online accommodation platform Airbnb today offered to house 20,000 Afghan refugees for free around the world, as people flee Kabul, Afghanistan, following a Taliban takeover.
“The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the United States (US) and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time,” tweeted Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky.
“We feel a responsibility to step up.”
Airbnb has made it possible for hosts to offer temporary housing to people fleeing conflict and natural disasters through its Open Homes platform since 2012.
The Afghan evacuees stays will be funded via contributions from Airbnb, Chesky and donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, said the company in a statement.
“I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There is no time to waste,” said Chesky.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) today warned that it has enough medical supplies to last it “one week” in Afghanistan.
“WHO has enough supplies in-country to last for only one week,” said Ahmed al-Mandhari, the head of WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region – stretching from Afghanistan to Morocco.
“Yesterday, 70% of these supplies were released to health facilities.”
Al-Mandhari said 500 metric tonnes of medicines and supplies stored in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, were unable to be delivered due to the chaotic evacuation efforts at Kabul airport, which does not have the capacity to receive commercial flights.
“Countries sending in empty planes to pick up evacuees do not feel they are able to help.”
On Sunday, WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund jointly called for an “immediate establishment of a reliable and robust humanitarian air-bridge to send in supplies”.
US-led troops have ramped up operations to get thousands of people out of Kabul, after the Taliban warned it will not allow Washington to extend an August 31 deadline for a complete withdrawal.
About 50,000 foreigners and Afghans have fled the country from Kabul airport since the militant group swept into power 10 days ago, according to the US government. – AFP, August 24, 2021
