How Airbnb rentals are helping Ukrainians amid war with Russia

Despite the fact that Ukraine is at war, Airbnb bookings in the country are skyrocketing. As Russia's aggression against its neighbour continues, people all over the world have come up with an unusual way to help Ukrainians by paying for their rentals even though they are unable to visit the country. People are sharing on social media how they booked their stay in various Ukrainian towns to donate money to residents who are facing extreme financial hardship and losses as a result of the Russian invasion.

The move comes after the home rental platform earlier this week offered free housing to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, as well as an invitation to others to participate by offering their homes.

It all started when the popular Instagram account @quentin.quarantino suggested the idea, and others quickly followed suit. "Yesterday, I proposed a way to help Ukraine by renting out rooms on Airbnb. "24 hours later, hundreds of people are booking AirBnBs in Ukraine to send immediate monetary assistance to people in hard-hit areas," he wrote online, sharing some conversations between the hosts and the guests.

But it was Airbnb's clarification that they would not be taking a cut of all bookings in Ukraine during the crisis that prompted others to join quickly. Brian Chesky, the CEO of Airbnb, also took to Twitter to express his gratitude for the outpouring of support. "61,406 nights have been booked in Ukraine in the last 48 hours. That's $1.9M going to Hosts in need," Chesky tweeted, calling it a "cool idea."

Here's how netizens are coming forward to help the citizens stranded in Ukraine:

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