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Airbnb.org partners with the International Organization for Migration to support people fleeing Ukraine

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Key Takeaways

  • Airbnb.org will work with IOM to connect people fleeing Ukraine to free, short-term housing in Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
  • In the past week, more than 15,000 Hosts have signed up through Airbnb.org to offer their homes to refugees around the world.
A hand putting a key into another hand

Key Takeaways

  • Airbnb.org will work with IOM to connect people fleeing Ukraine to free, short-term housing in Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
  • In the past week, more than 15,000 Hosts have signed up through Airbnb.org to offer their homes to refugees around the world.

Airbnb.org and International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Migration agency, have announced today their partnership to connect people fleeing from Ukraine to free, short-term housing in Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.

Over 2 million people have been displaced to neighboring counties by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Last week, Airbnb.org committed to offer free, temporary housing for up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine, and since then, more than 15,000 people around the world have signed up through Airbnb.org to offer their homes to refugees for free or at a discount.

“Airbnb.org is proud to be working alongside IOM once again, this time to support those fleeing Ukraine, and to assist in what has become one of the largest humanitarian crises of our lifetime. We are grateful for the continued generosity of the Airbnb community, who have opened their homes to refugees or have donated to Airbnb.org’s efforts. If you have space to host, please consider helping Airbnb.org and IOM in offering temporary housing to those in need fleeing Ukraine.”

Joe Gebbia, Airbnb co-founder and chairman of Airbnb.org

IOM provides vital support to migrants across the world, responding to emergency events and providing advice on migration policy and practice. Through this partnership with Airbnb.org, IOM will help provide temporary housing over the coming weeks and months to people fleeing Ukraine.

These stays are free and funded by Airbnb, Inc., donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, and the generosity of Hosts through Airbnb.org. All Airbnb fees are waived for these stays.

“The provision of safe, private and accessible accommodation is of critical importance. IOM is proud to partner with Airbnb.org and help in providing a safe and warm place to stay. The winter is still quite severe in many places and providing warmth and security has an impact on not only just the physical wellbeing of all of those fleeing Ukraine, but also their emotional and mental state. Many will need a safe space to process the events of the last few days and to rest their weary hearts. We are grateful to all the Hosts through Airbnb.org and Airbnb that have opened their home and their hearts during this time.

IOM Deputy Director General Amy Pope

IOM is on the ground, mobilizing teams and boosting capacity in Ukraine and neighboring countries to respond to the growing humanitarian needs of Ukrainians forced to flee the country, those internally displaced, and stranded third country nationals. IOM’s priority is the safety and protection of all those fleeing the country and their ability to access assistance. IOM is screening and assessing potential vulnerabilities and risks, including for human trafficking, child protection, health and mental health, and the arrival of more vulnerable people with special needs, including elderly, wounded or sick people.

As of March 4, 2022, nationals from 138 countries have crossed the borders into neighboring states. Many left with only the clothes on their backs and a handful of prized possessions. Finding safety and shelter in an unknown place is daunting for many. 

“I haven’t slept since the war started,” Zoya* told IOM staff at the Siret border between Ukraine and Romania, where over 150,000 people arrived since the start of the conflict. “We couldn’t take anything, just some clothes and documents. We have no relatives in Romania. I ran away with my three children.” 

IOM, Airbnb and Airbnb.org have a history of partnering to support the refugee community around the world, and have worked together, beginning in 2019, to offer housing to Syrian and Afghan refugees in Romania.

Over the past five years, Airbnb and Airbnb.org have connected more than 54,000 refugees and asylum seekers – including from Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan – to temporary housing through Airbnb.org partners. Along with supporting refugees, Airbnb.org has nearly a decade of experience in providing emergency accommodation to those in need, including activating Airbnb.org’s emergency response program to provide those affected by the devastating floods across Western Europe.

People fleeing Ukraine in need of temporary housing can contact IOM at prykhystok@iom.int. Anyone who is interested in supporting this initiative can go to airbnb.org/help-ukraine to get involved, including by offering free or discounted stays or donating. 
Read more about: Ukraine

*Name changed to protect privacy

About the International Organization for Migration

Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As a UN related agency, the organization works in emergency situations, developing the resilience of all people on the move, and particularly those in situations of vulnerability, as well as building capacity within governments to manage all forms and impacts of mobility.

About Airbnb 

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over
4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 billion guest arrivals across over 220 countries and regions. Travel on Airbnb keeps more of the financial benefits of tourism with the people and places that make it happen. Airbnb has generated billions of dollars in earnings for Hosts, most of whom are individuals listing the homes in which they live. Among Hosts who report their gender, more than half are women, and one in five employed Hosts are either teachers or healthcare workers. Travel on Airbnb also has generated more than $4 billion in tax revenue around the world. Airbnb has helped advance more than 1,000 regulatory frameworks for short-term rentals, including in 80% of our top 200 geographies. In late 2020, to support our continued expansion and diversification, we launched the City Portal to provide governments with a one-stop shop that supports data sharing and compliance with local registration rules. We continue to invest in innovations and tools to support our ongoing work with governments around the world to advance travel that best serves communities.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.’s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org’s charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, Hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

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