Of course Airbnb hosts may not be the neediest cases.

'It's not happening to someone happening far away - it's happening to people we now know.' And now I care so much about this woman and what happens to her,' she tells NPR. I am so heartbroken for Ukraine, but I don't know anyone there. 'It makes me feel like I have so much more skin in the game. Brown and her husband own three properties listed on the platform, and she owns a business that operates another 28. The bookings have helped build a sense of connectionīrown says the experience has helped her feel more invested in Ukraine beyond the news, by connecting with an actual person - in this case, with an Airbnb host like herself. On Wednesday and Thursday, more than 61,000 nights were booked in Ukraine from around the world - bookings that grossed nearly $2 million, Airbnb tells NPR. The idea spread over the last few days, and Airbnb is waiving all host and guest fees in Ukraine for now. We do not have any right to ask our country to help us, because all the country's resources are for the war and for the victory.'Īirbnb hosts are paid 24 hours after a guest checks in, so people abroad are booking stays and letting hosts know that it's a gesture of solidarity, and they don't plan to appear. Speaking to NPR from Kyiv, Martiusheva says the bookings mean a lot: 'These days we do not have any income.

Someone in the Facebook group noted that it was important to support Ukrainians in places other than Kyiv, so Brown booked two more stays in smaller cities, with plans for more.Įkaterina Martiusheva is the host of the first apartment Brown booked in Ukraine. Sarah Brown, who lives in Salt Lake City, is one of those who got the ball rolling in a Facebook group for Airbnb hosts.

Some people have found a novel way to get money to Ukrainians as their country is under attack from Russia: booking immediate Airbnb stays they don't intend to use. More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine following Russia's assault on the country, with many Ukrainians passing through Lviv on their way to Poland.

Families wait to make their way from the main bus and train terminal on Saturday in Lviv, Ukraine.

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