How Airbnb helps refugees fleeing Ukraine from the Russian Invasion
As Vladimir Putin’s ruthless invasion of Ukraine threatens many lives, the repercussions have also menaced the global economy, shaking financial markets. Many international companies have a lot to lose — and need to act. Some companies pulled out of Russia due to the situation. McDonald’s, for example, says it is temporarily closed 850 restaurants in Russia in response to the Ukraine invasion. However, in this blog post, I will be telling a story about how Airbnb responds and deals with this situation.
You might have heard about Airbnb, an online marketplace for lodging, primarily homestays for vacation rentals and tourism activities. Airbnb suspended all operations in Russia and stopped users of the home rental site from making any bookings. Moreover, the company also offers temporary housing in neighboring countries to up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing their country because of the Russian invasion.
By doing this, Airbnb created this campaign under Airbnb.org, so people who want to get involved can also help by offering temporary stays for free or at a discount or donating to fund stays. 100% of the donation will go toward connecting people with short-term housing. In addition, Airbnb.org works with other nonprofit partners such as Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and United Nation Migration, who book and coordinate stays for refugee guests. These organizations support their clients in finding housing and more.
Furthermore, many people worldwide are booking Airbnb in Ukraine, but they don’t plan on checking in because they want to help Ukrainians. People are sharing how they booked their stay to donate money to residents facing extreme financial difficulties.
In my view, there are so many Airbnb users in Ukraine who were affected by this ruthless attack, and they need help. Therefore, creating this campaign helps them survive in this situation and shows how the company is responsible for the community. It also reflects Airbnb’s mission — to help create a world where you can belong anywhere.
