While we’ve all been caught up in the Pokémon GO craze, this offers a stark reminder of those who aren’t so lucky.
A series of photographs have emerged from a Syrian news agency of children holding signs with Pokémon drawn on them which carry messages asking to be saved.
The photos reportedly come from the Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office, although the organisation has not yet commented on their origin.
The children in the photographs are believed to be in located in Syria, which is currently being torn apart by civil war and has seen over 4.5 million people flee the country in search of refuge.
https://twitter.com/RFS_mediaoffice/status/755794882506219520
https://twitter.com/RFS_mediaoffice/status/755790710130040832
The photos are said to have been taken in the cities of Hama and Idlib, which have been hardest hit by the conflict.
Another image shows a young boy sitting next to a crying Pikachu in a building that appears to have been hit by an explosion.
https://twitter.com/RFS_mediaoffice/status/755796778348404737
Look, we all know that it is possible to think about more than one thing at a time and that just because you play Pokémon GO doesn’t mean you can’t possibly care about anything else.
And Pokémon GO is doing its own great thing for people’s physical and mental health, as well as helping children with conditions like autism feel included by their peers.
We can do more and we should do more – perhaps by contacting your local T.D. and asking them what steps the government are currently taking to welcome refugees to Ireland – and, you never know, maybe that good karma will help you find that Pikachu you’ve been searching for.
*A version of this article first appeared on JOE.co.uk*
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