Away from the war front, Hezbollah runs a sophisticated network of schools, clinics and social services in the Shiite community.

"Hezbollah is a grass-roots movement," said Amal Sa'ad Ghorayeb, a political science professor at the Lebanese American University and expert in Hezbollah affairs.

"They ... take care of all your social, medical and welfare needs," she said.

The group cultivated much respect for its efficient network of services in the south, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Dahiyah Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Even now, despite crippling Israeli airstrikes that have destroyed most of Hezbollah offices across the country, the group is assisting in relief efforts.

In a makeshift Hezbollah-run kitchen in Beirut on Thursday, two cooks stirred huge pots of rice and meat pilaf for delivery to schools across the capital where hundreds of thousands of Shiites are taking refuge.

Abbas Noun, in charge of the operation, said about 40 people were working to churn out some 8,000 portions a day. The group also has medicine distribution centres and volunteer doctors who to around bombed-out southern villages and schools 170 in the Beirut area checking on people and providing them with medicine.

Hezbollah's network of social charity organisations include 'Imdad', Arabic for 'supply', which provides educational and medical services for the poor and physically disabled.

'Mu'asasat Al Shahid' or 'Institution of the Martyr' takes care of the welfare of the families of Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli attacks.

'Jihad Al Bina' or 'construction for the sake of holy struggle', rebuilds homes damaged in attacks and provides water and garbage collecting services in southern and eastern Lebanon.