News Center- The ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the southeastern state of Sennar, Sudan, has pushed hundreds to flee in small wooden boats across the Nile River.

 Around 25 citizens, most of them women and children, died in a boat sinking while crossing the Blue Nile River in the southeastern state of Sennar, a local resistance committee said in a statement on Thursday.

“Entire families perished in the accident while fleeing the RSF's recent advance through Sennar,” the committee said.

Local authorities in neighboring Gedaref state said in a statement on Thursday that they estimated that some 120,000 displaced people had arrived this week. The state's health ministry said 90,000 had been officially registered.

Since 24 June 2024, an estimated 136,000 people have been displaced from various locations across Sennar State following armed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the International Organization for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM DTM) said on Wednesday. “Notably, Sennar, Sinja, and Ad Dinder localities hosted approximately 285,926 IDPs prior to the recent escalation in clashes, the majority of whom had already been displaced from Khartoum or Aj Jazirah.”

“Conflict in Sinja has significantly exacerbated civilian suffering and increased violations of international humanitarian law,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report on Thursday. “Civilians are now facing multiple protection risks and have reported widespread looting of their homes and personal possessions. People fleeing Sinja Town have arrived in Gedaref, Blue Nile, and Kassala states.”