Home rental company Airbnb says it will provide temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide.
The effort will be funded by Airbnb, its chief executive, Brian Chesky, and donations to its charity Airbnb.org, the company said in a blog post on Tuesday.
"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," a company spokeswoman said.
"While we are only providing temporary (not permanent) housing, we are committed to housing these families for as long as they need."
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan last week as the United States and its allies withdrew troops from the country.
Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky is interviewed during a lunch meeting of the Economic Club of New York, Monday, March 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Source: AP
The United States and its allies have been racing to complete the evacuation of all foreigners and vulnerable Afghans before the expiry of a 31 August deadline agreed with the Taliban.
Over the past weekend, Airbnb.org has worked with partners to place 165 refugees in safe housing shortly after they landed in the United States, Airbnb said.
US military and coalition flights evacuated 21,600 people from Kabul, Afghanistan in a 24-hour period since early Monday, a White House official said on Tuesday.
