Airbnb announced Tuesday that it will offer temporary accommodation free of charge to Afghan refugees fleeing Talibans almost complete takeover of Afghanistan. The program began immediately.
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Brian Chesky, CEO, tweeted Tuesday morning that the company would begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide for free. He also stated that although the company will pay for these stays, it is impossible to do so without the generous support of our Hosts. We have a responsibility to do more.
Airbnb stated that Chesky and it would cover costs through the non profit 501(c), Airbnb.org. This organization has previously offered housing to disaster victims and medical workers during the coronavirus pandemic. It will also solicit donations for its Refugee Fund. It works with partners and resettlement agencies to identify people in dire need of housing. It also stated that the company urges other members of global business to support Afghan refugees immediately.
Airbnb was not available for comment by email. It did not specify how long it would provide housing or cover bills. Airbnb stated that it had already provided safe housing to 165 Afghan refugees within the hour of landing in the United States.
Taliban was an extremist Islamic militant group that was originally backed by the CIA, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, and the CIA to defeat the Soviets during Cold War. They ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The U.S. deposed them in 2001 after providing sanctuary for the Al-Qaeda terrorist network. It was not even close to being destroyed. They continued fighting both the U.S. -backed Afghan government and the U.S.-led NATO-led coalition that was occupying Afghanistan. The President Joe Biden's administration has not been able to fulfill its promise to end the seemingly interminable U.S. occupation. However, it has opted to follow a deal with the Taliban that Donald Trump's administration made to withdraw all U.S. troops. This extended the timeline until August 2021. The Afghan government, despite Bidens administration's assurances to that contrary, was unable to resist and was effectively extinguished by the Taliban forces who consolidated control within a matter of weeks.
The U.S. occupation lasted 20 years and was governed by four presidents. It caused hundreds of thousands deaths, as well as untold economic-social damage. According to United Nations estimates there were just 2.5 million Afghan refugees left by the end of U.S. occupation. Only one part of Afghanistan is still occupied by U.S. forces. It's Kabul's airport, where thousands of refugees fled to escape the Taliban insurgents in the last attempt to flee the country.
Since then, the Taliban have stated that they will allow foreign nationals to leave but they won't let Afghan citizens reach the airport. They also oppose any further evacuations after Aug. 31. Witnesses described how militant groups reacted against anyone suspected of aiding the U.S. and NATO forces during occupation. CNBC reported that the Biden administration claimed it had helped evacuate or evacuated 58,700 Afghans since Aug. 14. This includes approximately 21,600 people who were airlifted from Monday. According to the Washington Post on Tuesday, Biden stated that he believed the evacuation would be complete by the August 31 deadline. Although he is unlikely to announce an extension of the deadline, the White House allowed the possibility that the final withdrawal date could be changed if necessary.
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Many refugees are living in miserable conditions at Doha's Al Udeid Air Base. There, thousands of them are being held in scorching August temperatures, without air conditioning, and in dire need of resources. Axios obtained a U.S. Central Command supervisory Special Agent Colin Sullivan email last Friday that detailed conditions at the base, including uncleaned human waste, and rat infestation. Sullivan wrote: While we are not downplaying the Afghanis' escape from Kabul, nor the conditions in Kabul, the current conditions at Doha are ours.
Airbnb stated in the statement that Airbnb.org had provided accommodation for approximately 75,000 people in crisis since 2012. Chesky tweeted: I hope that this inspires other business leaders. There is no time to waste.
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While the company was active in Afghanistan under the U.S. occupation, it is not the only one offering assistance during this crisis. It implicitly gains some goodwill and PR. According to Reuters Verizon Inc. announced that it will waive calls to Afghanistan until Sept. 6 and Walmart will donate $1 million to aid Afghan refugees. According to Reuters, the Pentagon announced this weekend that 18 United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Airlines aircraft have been enlisted by it to transport displaced persons to their next destination after they disembark from flights departing Afghanistan.
