Of the millions of trending topics circulating the Internet, one of the lesser known ones is a series of photographs of Syrian children holding pictures of Pokemon character, asking the world to save them.

It’s an awful way to attract attention, to be honest – but it has worked.

The images were published on Facebook and show the young Syrians looking dejectedly into the camera. One sign, for example, reads:

I am in Kafr Nabl on the outskirts of Idlib, come and save me

Posted by the Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office (RFS), a spokesperson told The Independent:

With the media spread wide for Pokemon game we decided to publish these images to highlight the suffering of the Syrian people from the bombing of the forces of order and Air-Assad to the Syrian people and besiege them.

We want to raise awareness and draw attention to the plight of Syrian children in besieged areas and the suffering of Syrian people who are attacked and killed by the Assad regime and its allies.

You hear that? Its allies. The images were posted after more than 70 civilians died this week from a US airstrike that was “accidental”. The majority of the victims were women and children.

Syrian children are victims of the war and the brutal and indiscriminate attacks that are carried out on a daily basis by regime and Russian jets.

The Syrian children are paying the price for the international inaction to stop the Assad killing machine.

Unicef – those responsible for THIS ad – estimated around 35 000 children trapped in and around the Syrian city of Manbij, where the airstrikes hit.

While a lot of focus sure has been on Pokemon Go since its launch (it will die down), many are sharing their frustration over the hype, saying that Syrians have more important things to do than catch Pokemon.

Well, that’s true – but I wouldn’t even know how to go save a Syrian child right now. Surely it should be up to the countries dropping the bombs to save the innocent? Definitely.

[source:independent]