SyriaGo: Using Pokemon Go to highlight Syrian suffering

Saif Tahhan recently posted the images on Facebook, calling it the "Syrian version" of the game.

The wildly popular mobile app, which is based on a 1990s Nintendo game, has created a global frenzy as players roam the real world looking for cartoon monsters.

In the images, people are seen playing the game in devastated Syrian cities trying to catch first aid, life vests, teddy bears, books and housing – instead of pocket monsters.

"The world has become obsessed with this video game, so I told myself why not use it as a medium to convey our suffering," Tahhan said.

"Everyone is now searching for Pokemon, however, Syrians are searching for the basic necessities of life. Honestly, I don't think the world feels for us."

Tahhan immigrated a year and a half ago to Denmark, where he works as a graphic designer.

More than 280,000 people have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since the Syrian conflict broke out in March 2011.

While many have been swept up in the thumb-twiddling frenzy, authorities in the Arab world have taken a more serious view on the game.

A cleric from Egypt's top Islamic authority said this week that the game is "prohibited" for Muslims.

According to Abbas Shouman, the deputy chief of al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's foremost religious authority, spending time on the game is on par with drinking alcohol, which is prohibited in Islam.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates warned on Friday that criminals could exploit users of the game and other apps to hack their phones and spy on their movements.