Activists use Pokémon Go to highlight the plight of Syrian children

Some 3.7 million Syrian children have been born into war in their native land, but activists are using Pokémon Go to draw international attention to their plight.

The Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office (RFS) is sharing images of Syrian kids surrounded by chaos and violence — plus Pokémon. The images allude to the fact that you have to physically go to a new location to capture each monster, urging viewers to likewise come help.

"People on social media talk about Pokémon all the time, so I created these images to draw attention to suffering during the war and what Syrians are really searching for," said Saif Aldeen Tahhan, a graphic designer who has shared mockups of Syria Go, in which users would search for basic necessities like food and shelter instead of fantastic creatures. "I can tell you, the Syrian people are not looking for Pokémon."

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