Afghanistan is going through severe crisis after the militant group Taliban has taken over the country in recent times. A number of countries across the globe are undertaking operations to evacuate their respective citizens from Afghanistan. The United States made an announcement on August 23, 2021 that it has managed to evacuate 48,000 people from the country but thousands are still trying to escape. The population of the country now fears the worse as the Taliban militants would impose their policies. Amidst the deep crisis, CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky has announced that it will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees across the globe for free.
Huge crowds can be seen at the Kabul airport which marks the main exit point. Irrespective of the heat, people continue to throng at the airport while waiting for their turn to be rescued. To make things worse, the Taliban has given an airlift deadline of August 31 and many fear the worse that they might not be able to do so. Chesky while talking about the crisis said that the resettlement and displacement of the Afghan refugees in the United States and other countries in the world is one of the biggest humanitarian crises and needs to be addressed.
Chesky also said that the move by Airbnb also inspired other leaders across the globe to come forward and contribute in the crisis as there is no time to waste. The CEO has requested the Airbnb hosts to reach out to him if they wish to host a refugee family and promise to connect them to the right people at the company.
Airbnb often covers the cost of housing in times of emergencies. The company has also said that nearly 75,000 people have managed to find a place to stay in crisis time since the year 2012. More companies are now looking forward to show their support for the victims.
Photo Credits: BBC
