Airbnb has said it will house 20,000 Afghan refugees in response to "one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time" ©Getty Images

The Olympic Partner (TOP) sponsor Airbnb has said it will house 20,000 Afghan refugees after thousands fled the country in response to the Taliban seizing power following the withdrawal of United States troops.

The United Nations has warned that almost half a million Afghan refugees could flee this year as a result of the Taliban - an Islamist group that believes in Sharia law - returning to national power for the first time since 2001.

There are already 2.2 million Afghan refugees rehoused around the world.

Exact numbers on how many refugees have been flown out of Kabul - which has the only operational airport in the country - are not known.

The US said it evacuated 110,000 people since August 14; the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence said it evacuated 15,000 of those people, 8,000 of whom were Afghan nationals.

In response, Airbnb will temporarily house 20,000 for free across a range of locations. 

It said this is "one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time" and felt a "responsibility to step up".

Chief executive Brian Chesky said: "I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. 

"There's no time to waste."

Almost half a million Afghan refugees could flee the country by the end of the year, the United Nations has warned ©Getty Images
Almost half a million Afghan refugees could flee the country by the end of the year, the United Nations has warned ©Getty Images

Chesky added: "For these 20,000 refugees, my hope is that the Airbnb community will provide them with not only a safe place to rest and start over, but also a warm welcome home."

Airbnb has not said how long the refugees will be housed for.

The total cost, which has also not been publicly revealed, will be funded by Airbnb, Chesky and the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.

The company said it will work with non-governmental organisations "on the ground" to help with the most pressing needs.

Chesky tweeted on Tuesday (August 24): "Starting today, Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free.

"While we will be paying for these stays, we could not do this without the generosity of our hosts."

Airbnb said it would release more details about how people can help soon.

It explained: "We know that Airbnb hosts and guests around the world will be eager to stand up and assist this massive effort - and in the coming days, Airbnb and Airbnb.org plan to share details on how hosts and the broader community can support this initiative."

Airbnb was confirmed as a member of the IOC's flagship TOP sponsorship programme in November 2019.

The deal is worth an estimated $500 million (£363 million/€423 million) in cash and value in kind and covers five Olympic Games, starting with Tokyo 2020.