Airbnb will arrange accommodation for up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, CEO says

• Airbnb said it will arrange free, short-term accommodation for 100,000 refugees from Ukraine.
• CEO Brian Chesky said it will be funded by Airbnb, donations, and the "generosity of Hosts."

Airbnb will provide short-term accommodation for as many as 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine, CEO Brian Chesky announced on Monday.

Russia began an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, prompting thousands to flee. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a tweet Monday that over 500,000 people have already fled Ukraine into neighbouring countries.

"Airbnb and Airbnb.org are working with our Hosts to house up to 100,000 refugees fleeing from Ukraine, for free," Chesky tweeted Monday. Airbnb.org is Airbnb's charitable arm.

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Chesky appealed for hosts from neighboring countries including Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Romania to join the effort.

The CEO said the drive would be funded by Airbnb, donations to Airbnb.org, and the "generosity of Hosts."

When asked by Insider how the company defines "short-term" accommodation, an Airbnb spokesperson said it is "prepared to offer housing of up to 14 days."

Airbnb said in its press release it has arranged accommodation for 54,000 refugees and asylum-seekers over the past five years. The company announced last week it has arranged free temporary housing for over 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan.

Nearby European countries including Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic signaled in the run-up to Russia's attack they were preparing for the possibility of millions of refugees from Ukraine. The US also said it would welcome those fleeing Ukraine, but noted that it expected most refugees would want to go to Europe and neighboring countries.