Police are appealing for information to trace a missing six-year-old girl and her teenage aunt.
Zeenat Abdala, 16, and her niece Lutfiya Salum were last seen at around noon yesterday as they left their home in South Norwood, in Croydon, south London, to go to the library.
Police were alerted when the pair did not return home and it is understood they did not arrive at the library in Lawrence Road.
The youngsters came to the UK from Somalia earlier this year as unaccompanied minors and live in foster care, Scotland Yard said.
It is believed that they may be travelling to meet family that recently arrived in the UK.
Officers are concerned for their safety and welfare and have urged the girls to contact police or their foster carers as soon as possible.
Zeenat is described as a light skinned black girl with a slim face and slim build, 5ft 1in tall with black hair always in a headscarf. She is also described as looking younger than her age.
She was last seen wearing a plain brown silk headscarf, a three quarter length chocolate brown coat hooded with brown fur on the hood, underneath a brown cardigan with a fruit pattern and a long red/black and yellow dress with black leggings.
She was wearing pink sandals and carrying a brown shoulder bag with a flower pattern.
Lutfiya is also described as a light skinned black girl with round face and black hair in a bun.
She was last seen wearing a pink blouse, pink leggings, pink socks with a blue pattern and black shoes, a grey cardigan and a three quarter length brown hooded coat with a black pattern. The coat was hooded with brown fur.
It is believed Zeenat has access to money, a mobile phone and regularly uses the transport network.
Anyone who has seen Zeenat and Lutfiya or knows their whereabouts is asked to call police or the charity Missing People on 116 000.