Gaza Aid Fund: Bridgerton’s “Nicola Coughlan” Raises Nearly $2 Million for Gaza
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Roshan Amiri
- . June 4, 2024
- . Update: June 4, 2024 7:50 pm
The Irish actress best known for her role as Penelope Featherington in the Netflix hit ‘Bridgerton’ has been in the news for her fundraise. Over the past seven months, she’s helped raise about $1.9 million for relief efforts in Gaza .
During a promotional interview for the latest season of Bridgeton with USA Today she was dressed in an “Artists for Ceasefire” pin. Explaining her choice she highlighted her privileged position and expressed deep concern about the situation in Rafah.
Nicola’s connection to the region adds another layer to her commitment as her father served in the Irish Army with the UN’s Truce Supervision Organization in Jerusalem during the late 1970s ensuring a lifelong passion for peace in the Middle East.
“I feel very passionately about it ” she said. She also added Having a global platform I want to raise funds for aid organizations. There’s a fundraiser for Medical Aid for Palestine on my Instagram. Donating or sharing it would be wonderful.
Her dedication went beyond online appeals as Coughlan donned the pin at various public events, including the “Bridgerton” season premiere, promotional appearances, and US television shows like “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “Good Morning America.”
The funds raised by Coughlan might come as a helping stick as the situation in Gaza remains dire. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza require urgent humanitarian assistance, including access to food, water and healthcare.
Recent Tensions and Massacres
The already horrifying situation in Gaza took a dramatic turn with the recent attack on Rafah, a city in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. A residential building was targeted by an Israeli airstrike resulting in a high number of casualties, which included women and children. The attack led to global denunciation from the international community, with call for an immediate ceasefire and investigation into potential violation of international humanitarian law, a wave of “All Eyes on Rafah” started trending on social media which gained the attention of all social media users especially youngsters and celebs.
Eyewitnesses of this unfortunate incident described scenes of devastation and chaos , with the rescue teams finding it hard to reach the survivors trapped under the rubble. This incident has underscored the urgent need for humanitarian aid and protection of civilians in conflict zones. This attack is considered as the last nail in the coffin for Israel and Palestine relationship.
Keep on Reading
It all started when on 7 October 2023, Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern Israel. Around 1,139 were killed in this attack which included 71 foreign nationals and 373 members of security forces and around 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. Many cases of rape and sexual assault were reported and videos got viral on social media but Hamas denied the involvement of their fighters. This brutal attack by Hamas instigated the fire of revenge in Israel that grabbed global limelights. People and ideologies were divided in two parts supporting Palestine and Israel .
Efforts for peace negotiations and ceasefire have been ongoing but due to political complexities and mutual distrust it faced numerous challenges. International organizations and humanitarian groups continue to call for an end to the ongoing violence and increased support for the victims affected by the conflict.
