Airbnb has announced it will provide temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide amid the unfurling Taliban advance across the country.

The company announced the new initiative as part of its Airbnb charitable arm. The company will coordinate with Airbnb hosts willing to offer their homes to refugees for free, or at a discounted rate, with the charity reimbursing the rest of the bill and other operating expenditures. Co-founder Brian Cheskey has announced he will also fund the effort.

In a blogpost shared to the Airbnb website, a company spokesperson outlined “We are providing this housing through resettlement agencies and partners, who are in direct coordination with refugees and are advising on their needs for length of stay.

“While we are only providing temporary (not permanent) housing, we are committed to housing these families for as long as they need.”

Brian Cheskey adds, “While we will be paying for these stays, we could not do this without the generosity of our hosts,” Chesky wrote on social media. “If you’re willing to host a refugee family, reach out and I’ll connect you with the right people here to make it happen.

“The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up. I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There’s no time to waste.”

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