Until the beginning of March 1943, a transport train left Westerbork (almost) daily with Auschwitz as the final destination. On March 2nd the first of nineteen trains with destination Sobibor left Westerbork. In the consecutive months, another 18 trains were to follow. In the surrounding West European countries deportations were temporarily suspended. The precise reason for the transports from The Netherlands to Sobibor was never made clear. It has been assumed that transports to Auschwitz were halted in the spring of 1943 because there was no room there. A lot of Jews arrived there during that period, predominantly from Greece. Also, there was an outbreak of typhoid in Auschwitz. Another possible explanation could be that the previous transports form The Netherlands to Auschwitz included many sick and elderly. There was little use for those who could not work so from that moment on it was decided to send the trains to  Sobibor.