Ahead of the G8 summit in Italy River City star Carmen Pieraccini, who plays Kelly Marie Adams, joined Oxfam Scotland campaigners to highlight the tiny slice of the wealth of the G8 countries that is spent on overseas aid, and the need for G8 member states, including the UK, to keep their aid promises as the global recession deepens poverty in the developing world.

Oxfam Scotland wants the G8 to get back on track with aid promises made at Gleneagles in 2005 and not allow the current financial crisis to be used to allow aid to be pushed down the political agenda. Campaigners want the UK government to remain on track to spend 0.7% of GNI on aid by 2013 and for other countries to get back on track to reach aid targets. They want to ensure that G8 members deliver aid promises made to the world's poorest people.

Malcolm Fleming, Campaigns Manager for Oxfam Scotland said,

" People in Scotland will be surprised at how small a portion of their wealth the worlds' richest countries give on aid and shocked at the continuing depths of poverty in many countries.

" One in six people in the world do not have enough to eat and 1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty. The $8.42 trillion promised by rich countries governments to bailout banks would be enough to end extreme poverty for 50 years and a massive step towards ending it forever.

" That is why the UK government must stay on track in its aid commitments and other G8 countries must follow suit."

Carmen Pieraccini added,

" I think it important for world leaders to stop and think about what aid can do to help the world's poorest people. It can make sure nurses and doctors get trained and people get the chance of proper healthcare. It can provide teachers to kids who desperately want an education. It not only improves lives it can save lives. That's why I am backing Oxfam Scotland in asking the G8 to get back on track and keep the promises they made on aid. "

ENDS