‘No child should be starved to death by a government' – Nicola Coughlan condemns Israel's actions in Gaza
The Bridgerton actress said she 'cannot comprehend the levels of inhumanity' and told social media followers that it is 'deeply important' to speak up for those in Gaza.
Coughlan, who has previously revealed she was advised against speaking out on Israel's war on Gaza and was warned that doing so could hurt her career, said what is happening is a 'war crime, plain and simple'.
Sharing a post on Instagram last night, she said: "I think it deeply important that people speak up in this moment. No child, no matter where they are from, their religion, anything, should be starved to death by a government.
"This is a war crime, plain and simple. The US and UK governments who are aiding and abetting this need to be held to account. This is happening with our tax money and we have a moral obligation to tell them we will not let this happen.'
She shared a post that urged followers to contact their political representatives in the US, UK and Canada along with a warning from a UN official, who told the BBC this week that thousands of babies could die within days if enough aid is not allowed into Gaza.
The BAFTA-nominated actress asked, if the headline was in reference to British, American or Irish babies, would people stay 'completely silent?'
"If the answer is 'no', ask yourself why and speak up now.'
She added: 'It is time to speak up for the thousands of innocent children in Gaza who are facing forced starvation and death. I cannot comprehend the levels of inhumanity. Silence at this moment is complicit and violent.'
Humanitarian aid chief Tom Fletcher said five aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday, which was a 'drop in the ocean' after an 11-week blockade by Israel and were yet to reach the communities that needed help.
'There are 14,000 babies that will die in the next 48 hours unless we can reach them,' he said.
'We run all sorts of risks trying to get that baby food through to those mothers who cannot feed their children right now because they're malnourished.'
The United Nation's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) later said it is 'imperative' that supplies get into Gaza as soon as possible – 'ideally within the next 48 hours' – to 'save an estimated 14,000 babies suffering from severe acute malnutrition in Gaza'.
The BBC reported that it referenced a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification stated 14,100 severe cases of acute malnutrition are expected to occur among children aged six to 59 months in the year between April 2025 and March 2026.
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