ABSTRACT
In the fight against terrorism, the flow of financial resources aiding the operations of terrorists is a major concern for counter-terrorism (CT), and security operatives both in the West and the global south. This chapter builds on scholarly literature to contribute to and enhance the debate on aid for charities, not-for-profit organisations, and financing terrorism. It argues that aid for charities and not-for-profit organisations, and financing terrorism, can be lethal when the donor exercises their power through potential hidden objectives rather than the advertised intentions, and benefit for said recipients. In addition, the misallocation of aid and gratuitous underlying objectives, such as favouritism by donors, can be deadly when recipients begin to source aid from unlawful organisations. Primarily, among the core factors of charity and not-for-profit organisations falling prey to deadly aid and serving as conduits for financing terrorist activities is “want or need”.
