LONDON, Dec 4: A UK-based charity organization, Save the Children, has warned that babies and infants of Afghan families stranded in sub-zero temperatures in northern Afghanistan are dying because of a serious shortage of foodstuff.

Brendan Paddy of the Save the Children told the BBC that a journey that should take 40 minutes was taking up to 10 days as agencies tried to find alternative routes through Turkmenistan and Pakistan.

“We haven’t got the flood of aid we need. We’ve just got a trickle. We were seeing deaths of children and infants even before the temperatures dropped; and it can go up to 20 degrees lower,” he said.

In the north, clothing was taking priority over food. “Obviously, food is important but at the moment we are desperate to get tents, quilts and warm clothing to these people,” said Mr Paddy.