While it’s easy to feel helpless in the face of war in Ukraine, citizens have found an unusual way to send aid directly to the population. Tens of thousands of Internet users around the world have booked accommodation on Airbnb in Kyiv, or in other cities of the country, without intending to stay there.
Posted at 3:36 p.m.
The goal: to offer this sum to help Ukrainians and their families to face the situation in which they find themselves. By reserving their “false stay”, they hope that the entirety of their donation will end up in the pocket of the hosts.
In just 48 hours when the movement began earlier this month, 61,000 nights were booked in Ukrainian homes, nearly 3,000 of them by Canadians, according to Airbnb spokesman Matt McNama. The housing rental platform has also waived service fees for the occasion.
At the same time, Airbnb has pledged to house 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. Since the beginning of the initiative, nearly 30,000 guests, including 500 Canadians, have said they would like to welcome them.