Pope Francis holds US, Europe responsible for deaths of children in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has said that the United States and Europe are responsible for deaths of children in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, the Radio Pakistan reported.

Speaking to students and teachers of Milan's San Carlo Institute in Vatican City, he said wealthy Western countries fuel conflicts by selling weapons in war zones.

“A country that produces and sells weapons has on its conscience the death of every child and the destruction of each family,” Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis said that, without weapons, countries like Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan would not be at war.

He also spoke about the need for countries to welcome and integrate migrants, refuting crime concerns used by governments to justify denying entry to asylum-seekers.