The UN refugee agency UNHCR will today start issuing electronic identity cards to people displaced by violence perpetrated by Islamic militants Boko Haram in the north-east of Nigeria. UNHCR says it is working with Nigerian authorities to register 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDP) in camps in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

However, it is not known how many people will receive the card in the end.

The authorities say IDPs aged 16 and above are eligible to receive the card, which is expected to protect them from harassment and give them better access to education and health services.

According to the UN, more than two million people have been displaced by Boko Haram's violence in the Lake Chad region.