Kind-hearted people from across the world have been raising money for Ukrainian civilians in a unique way, unheard of before in history. Following the brutal Russian invasion, which is the largest military conflict in Europe since the Second World War, people have been booking and paying for nights in Ukrainian Airbnb locations with no intention of staying the night.
The new giving concept means that people can give money directly to Ukrainian families, many of whom have fled the country, without the requirement of going through official channels.
In just 48 hours between March 2nd and March 3rd it has been confirmed that 61,000 nights were booked in Ukraine and $1.9 million raised for those families who are in need.
One man, Volodymyr Bondarenko, who runs an Airbnb in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv had 10 people book a single room for the same night. He told CNN:
"This was surprising, it’s very supportive at the moment. I told many of my relatives and friends that I plan to use this money to help our people who need it at this time."
An Airbnb spokesperson said of the campaign:
"We are so humbled by the inspiring generosity of our community during this moment of crisis."
But this isn’t the only way Airbnb has been assisting the people of Ukraine. Following the crisis which has seen as many as 10 million displaced and 3 million leave the country for neighbouring states such as Poland and Romania, the company gave out 100,000 free places in Airbnb residences and waived guest and host fees. Many kind-hearted individuals have also booked Airbnb rooms across Europe for use by the refugees.
The invasion, which is now close to entering its fourth week, has resulted in huge damage within the nation of Ukraine, particularly in the East and South of the country, and has created the biggest mass exodus of human beings in modern European history. While there currently appears no end in sight the Turkish government, which has been facilitating peace talks, has indicated that both sides may be close to achieving a peace deal that could end the conflict.
[Based on reporting by: Good News Network]
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