A devastating tragedy unfolded in Sudan on Thursday, July 4th, as at least 25 people, including entire families, drowned in the Blue Nile River while attempting to escape the advancing Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

According to the Sennar Resistance Committees, the incident occurred near Abu Hajar, east of the city, between the villages of Dabiba and Loni. The victims, primarily women and children, were fleeing in a wooden boat after the RSF's incursion into the area.

The Committees' statement confirmed that entire families from Dabiba were among the victims.

In late June, the RSF seized control of the Jebel Moyah area in Sennar State, prompting hundreds of Sudanese families to flee towards Sennar city. However, Sennar itself became a battleground in recent days, forcing thousands more families to seek refuge further east and south.

The government of Gadarif State, which has received the majority of displaced people from Sennar, reported on Thursday that the number of those fleeing the war and the RSF's attacks on Sennar had reached 120,000.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday that over 55,400 people had fled Sennar city as the conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF spread to the area.

The Sudanese "Missing" initiative, which tracks missing civilians during battles and clashes, announced that 91 children, including infants and newborns, were missing from Sennar city.

Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal war since April 15, 2023, between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict has resulted in a major humanitarian crisis.

The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, with estimates ranging as high as 150,000 according to US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello.

The fighting has displaced nearly ten million people within Sudan and abroad, according to UN figures. The conflict has also severely damaged the country's infrastructure, leaving its population facing the threat of famine.