Pro-democracy activists reported on Thursday that twenty-five people fleeing the war in Sudan tragically drowned.

Pro-democracy activists in Sudan reported that approximately 25 people, mostly women and children, tragically drowned in the Nile River while attempting to escape clashes between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces in the southeastern region.

According to a statement by a local resistance committee on Thursday, the incident occurred as families were fleeing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) advance through Sennar state. This committee, which previously organized pro-democracy protests and now coordinates humanitarian efforts, described the victims as "entire families" who perished in the accident.

The RSF recently captured a military base in Sinja, the capital of Sennar state, prompting a mass exodus of over 55,000 people within three days, as reported by the United Nations on Monday. The crisis has escalated further, with an estimated 120,000 displaced individuals arriving in neighboring Gedaref state this week alone.

Sudan is currently facing one of the world's most severe displacement crises, with over 10 million people displaced due to ongoing conflicts since April 2023. The clashes, primarily between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, have resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread devastation across the country.

The conflict has divided Sudan into zones controlled by competing factions, with the RSF holding significant territory in the capital, agricultural regions, and areas like Darfur and southern Kordofan. In North Darfur's El-Fasher, where clashes have intensified, a recent paramilitary attack on a market left 15 civilians dead and 29 injured, according to local health officials.

The situation in El-Fasher remains dire, with ongoing street battles and a siege preventing many wounded from accessing medical care. Hospitals in the city have been repeatedly attacked, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Both sides have been accused of committing war crimes, including targeting civilian infrastructure and indiscriminately attacking residential areas and hospitals.