Airbnb is offering free temporary housing for up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees at no charge, the company said Monday.
More than 500,000 refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded the country last Thursday. That number, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said, ''has been rising exponentially, hour after hour.''
The U.N. expects the total to reach 4 million in the coming weeks, Grandi said.
In Poland, which has reported the most arrivals at more than 280,000, trains continued to bring refugees into the border town of Przemysl on Monday. In winter coats to protect them against near-freezing weather, many carried small suitcases as they left the station.
The stays provided by Airbnb will funded by donations to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, ''and the generosity of hosts through Airbnb,'' the company said.
Airbnb founders on Monday sent letters to European leaders offering support for the refugees, including those of Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania.
The organization last week announced it had provided housing to 21,300 Afghan refugees and said its goal was to provide free, temporary housing to 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan, Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America, and other regions.
''We know that Hosts and guests on Airbnb around the world will be eager to stand up and assist this massive effort to help those fleeing Ukraine,'' the company said on its website.
''In the coming days, Airbnb and Airbnb.org will share additional details on how Hosts and the broader community can support this initiative, including by offering free or discounted stays.''
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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