REPORT: Syrian Children Hold Pokemon Pictures In Plea To Be Saved

Photographs of Syrian children holding pictures of popular Pokemon characters are being used by opposition groups in the devastated country to spread awareness of their plight.

 

The photos were distributed by the Syrian National Coalition, an alliance of Western-backed activist and rebel groups in the country's five-year civil war.

 

Their release is an attempt to capitalize on the wild success of the ​"Pokemon GO" game, which challenges players on smartphones to travel to real-world locations to capture the cuddly monsters, using the phone's camera.

 

"If you are looking for a Pokemon you can find it in Syria,​" the coalition said on Twitter through their communications arm, the Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office.

One photograph of a child with the franchise-favorite ​"Pikachu​" character reads, ​"I am in trapped in Douma in east Ghouta. Help me."

 

Douma is a suburb of Damascus besieged by government forces attempting to rout rebels from the territory.

 

Bombardments are a daily occurrence for Douma and the surrounding neighborhoods, which hold tens of thousands of civilians according to the United Nations.

 

Pokemon GO has become a global success since its initial release on July 6. Its creator, Nintendo, has almost doubled in market value.