At least 25 people, mostly women and children, drowned in the Blue Nile River after their boat capsized while fleeing clashes between Sudanese army and paramilitary forces known as the RSF.

A local resistance committee reported the deaths, stating entire families perished trying to escape the RSF's advance in Sennar state.

The RSF recently captured Sinja, the state capital, prompting over half a million people to flee for safety. Witnesses reported the RSF sweeping through nearby villages, forcing residents to escape by boat across the Nile.

The UN estimates at least 55,000 people fled Sinja within three days, while neighboring Gedaref state reported around 120,000 displaced people arriving this week.

This incident adds to Sudan's dire situation, currently facing the world's worst displacement crisis according to the UN, with over 10 million people displaced within the country.

Sudan has been embroiled in war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between factions loyal to the military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict has caused thousands of deaths, with estimates as high as 150,000 according to the US envoy to Sudan. (ILKHA)