Children in war-torn Syria have been photographed holding up pictures of Pokemon, in the hope that the world will “come to their rescue”.
The pictures were shared by an online news service, the Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office, a media outlet for the working to spread the messages of Syrians against Bashar al-Assasd’s presidential regime.
Syrian children holding Pokemon photos in hopes the world will find them and save them pic.twitter.com/pjnSMwSdTn
— Teymour (@Teymour_Ashkan) July 21, 2016
The powerful images feature children posing with popular Pokémon mascots, such as Squirtle and Pikachu, bearing captions with phrases like “Come save me”.
#PrayForSyria
I am from #Syria come to save me!!! pic.twitter.com/lRbSlGsWrB— إعلام قوى الثورة (@RFS_mediaoffice) July 20, 2016
The photo series urges the world to remember the Syria crisis which, according to Save The Children, has left more than a quarter of a million children living under siege.
Aid agencies say it is the worst humanitarian disaster in modern times, with millions forced to flee the country and millions more being displaced internally.
Syrian graphic designer Saif Aldeen Tahhan has also used Pokémon Go to highlight the devastation in the country.
Sharing the images on his Facebook page — each carrying a ‘Syria Go’ logo — the designer said, “I created these images as a way to turn attention to the Syrian war, and to focus on Syrian suffering instead of Pokémon, which people are crazy about.”
He told Al Arabiya: “The world has become obsessed with this video game, so I told myself why not use it as a medium to convey our suffering.”
“Everyone is now searching for Pokémon, however, Syrians are searching for the basic necessities of life. Honestly, I don’t think the world feels for us.”