Eight of Disney's most iconic characters were spotted out and about in war-torn Syria this week.
Well, not literally, but the much-loved characters were made to look like they were in different locations around the Middle Eastern country, with the purpose of highlighting the damage ensued during the five years while it has been under attack.
Using the magic of Photoshop, the images were created by Syrian Graphic Design student Elias Zkhoor, 23, whose goal was to make children around the world aware of the situation in his homeland by using characters that they could relate to.
Elias said that he specifically chose Disney's characters because "they're universally-recognized and there's always a message behind their stories."
"The symbolism behind each character delivers my idea in a simpler way and makes the images more emotional," Elias explained.
He noted that "seeing a picture of a destroyed building will momentarily affect you, whereas seeing that same building with a picture of Timon crying over his friend Pumbaa, who he had lost in the destruction of war, will make you stop and think about various things, starting with the destruction itself, followed by the people lost in it and the ones who became homeless as a result."
Check out Elias's touching creations below.
