STORY: As the United Nations World Food Programme struggles to feed millions of people in war-torn Sudan, the humanitarian agency has launched an investigation into two of its most senior officials in the country, accusing them of fraud and concealing information from donors about their ability to deliver food aid to civilians.

This is what eleven people familiar with the investigation say.

Five of the sources who spoke to Reuters said investigators are looking into whether WFP staff tried to cover up the Sudanese army’s alleged role in obstructing aid amid a brutal 16-month war with a rival paramilitary group for control of the country.

One of the officials under investigation has since been deployed “temporarily” outside Sudan, but Reuters could not confirm the other’s current role.

In response to questions about the investigation, the WFP stated that “allegations of individual misconduct related to irregularities in some of our operations in Sudan” were currently under urgent review by the Office of the Inspector General.

Meanwhile, US aid agency USAID – the WFP’s largest single donor – said the allegations were “deeply worrying” and needed to be “thoroughly investigated”.

The World Food Programme is fighting severe hunger on many fronts and currently needs nearly $23 billion in funding to feed millions of people.

Among them are more than a million people on the brink of famine, most of them in Sudan and the Gaza Strip.