The Airbnb portal is temporarily providing free accommodation for around 20,000 Afghan refugees.

The situation of Afghan refugees in the US and elsewhere in the world was "one of the greatest humanitarian crises" of the time, Airbnb boss Brian Chesky said on Tuesday.

The company feels responsible to help.

The offer is financed by the Airbnb leadership themselves and through donations.

Airbnb will pay for the offer, but this only comes about through the "generosity" of the hosts, Chesky continued.

On the Twitter portal, he asked interested parties to register via the platform if they would like to offer shelter to an Afghan family.

The accommodation portal has been offering its hosts the opportunity to temporarily offer their accommodation for a good cause free of charge since 2012, for example in the event of natural disasters or the escape from conflict areas.

According to the US government, around 50,000 foreign and Afghan citizens have fled Afghanistan via Kabul airport since the Taliban came to power.