NEW DELHI, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Human-rights groups, children's advocates and aid workers challenged a NATO official's remark that war-torn Afghanistan is "probably safer" than New York.
Appearing on a BBC children's program Monday, NATO's civilian representative Mark Sedwill responded to Afghan children's fears about explosions, the Christian Science Monitor reported Monday.
"In Kabul and the other big cities, actually there are very few of those bombs. The children are probably safer here than they would be in London, New York, or Glasgow or many other cities. Most children can go about their lives in safety. It's a very family-oriented society," Sedwill said.
One critic voiced the concern of other human-rights workers, saying the security bubble surrounding Sedwill and other Western officials blinds them to certain realities.
"I not only totally disagree with Mr. Sedwill's assessment of child safety in Kabul, I'm amazed to see how oblivious and ignorant he is about this situation in Afghanistan," said Ajmal Samadi, director of the Afghanistan Rights Monitor in Kabul.
"It means NATO (officials) have no idea what Afghanistan and Kabul is beyond their high compound walls. If he's talking about NATO headquarters, yes, that's safe," he adds.
Sedwill later tried to clarify his position via e-mail.
"I was trying to explain to an audience of British children how uneven violence is across Afghanistan," he said.
"In cities like Kabul where security has improved, the total levels of violence, including criminal violence, are comparable to those which many Western children would experience."
