The United Nations Millennium Campaign is urging G-7 finance ministers, meeting in Rome on February 13-14 to address the economic crisis, not to forget about the world’s poorest people, who have had nothing to do with the causes of the crisis, but are facing the consequences.

It is estimated that the number of people living on less than $1 per day could rise by 40 million and the number of people living on less than $2 per day could rise by 100 million as a direct result of the financial crisis. The finance ministers must keep the needs of the most vulnerable on the agenda during this week’s talks, create a vulnerability fund to help poor countries weather the financial crisis, clearly spell out plans to deliver on their aid commitments and avoid protectionism. The work done in Rome this week will set the stage for the outcome of the full G-8 meeting in July. If these issues are not addressed now, by summer it will be too late.